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EARLY 

HISTORY  OF  OMAHA; 

OR, 

Walks  and  Talks  Among  the  Old  Settlers  : 

A   SERIES   OF   SKETCHES    IN    THE   SHAPE    OF 

A    CONNECTED    NARRATIVE 

OF    THE 

EVENTS  AND   INCIDENTS  OF  EARLY  TIMES    IN    OMAHA 

TOGETHER    WITH    A     BRIEF    MENTION    OF    THE 

MOST  IMPORTANT  EVENTS  OF  LATER  TEARS. 


By  ALFRED    SORENSON, 

CITY     EDITOR     OF    THE     OMAHA     DAILY     BEE. 


ILLUSTRATED 

WITH  NUMEROUS    ENGRAVINGS,  MANY    OF    THEM    BEING    FROM    ORIGINAL 
SKETCHES    DRAWN    ESPECIALLY     FOR    THIS    WORK    BY 

CHARLES  S.  HUNTINGTON. 


OMAHA : 

PRINTED     VI     THE    OFFICE    OF    THE     DAILY     BKE. 

1876. 


Entered   according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1876,  by 

ALFRED     SORENSON, 

In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 
I.     Bird's-Eye    View    of    Omaha Frontispiece. 

II.     The  First   Omaha  Editor    and  his    Sanctum 45 

III.  Postmaster  Jones   with  his  Hat   for    a  Postoffice.   53 

IV.  The    Monument  that  Mr.  Jones  Desired 70 

V.     The    First    Executive    Ball 74 

VI.     A    very   Striking   Affair — A  Nebraska  Territorial 

Legislative  Scene 88 

VII.     The   Old   Territorial  Capitol 91 

VIII.     An    Obstinate    Irishman   Ducked     in  the   River    by 

the   Claim    Club .107 

IX.     Two  Horse-Thieves  Publicly  Whipped — Thirty-Nine 

Lashes   Each 117 

X.     The  Hanging  ok  Braden  and  Daley  by    a   Mob  for 

Horse  Stealing 119 

XI.     The    Execution    of   Cyrls   II.  Tator 131 

XII      Catholic    Cathedral    and  Bishop's   Residence 176 

XIII.  Presbyterian  Church 177 

XIV.  Baptisi    Church 17S 

X  V.     Odd   Fellows'  Hall     179 

\\  I       Tin     lati     Edward   C%eighton — Builder   of  the  Pa- 
cific  Telegraph 184 

\\  [I.      Union    Pacific    Bridge  OVER     ihe    Missouri    River.    .204 

XVIII.     O.m.mia    High    School    Building 223 

XIX.     Grand   Central   Hotel 224 

XX.     Post-Office    \m>   I'.   S.  Custom    House        225 


L\'5Sr>7«> 


CONTENTS. 


Chap.  Pack. 

I.     The  Bottom   Facts 9 

II.     The  Mormons 15 

III.  The  Pioneers 18 

IV.  The    Indians 24 

V.     Omaha's  Birth 31 

VI.     First    Incidents 34 

VII.     The    Arrow 42 

VIII.     Omaha's    Progress — Items    from  the  Arrow 49 

IX.     Omaha    Wins    the   Capital   Prize 58 

X.     The    First   Executive   Bali 72 

XI.     Thk    First   Murder    Trim,  76 

XII.     P'irst   Attempt  to   Remove  the   Capitai 79 

XIII.  The    Second   Capital   Removal  Scheme 82 

XIV.  Thk   Last  Round  in  thk  Capital  Removal  Fight.  86 
XV.     Omaha    from    1856   to     i860 93 

XVI.     Thk    DOINGS   ok    the    Claim  Club 98 

XVII.     Pioneer  Justice. 114 

XVIII.     Thk   First  Legal  Execution 128 

XIX.     Florence  139 

XX.    The  Pawnee  War 142 

XXI.      Tim.    BlG    Indian    SCARE  OF    1864    161 

XXII.     Omaha    and  Nebraska  in  the  War 109 

XXIII.     First  Churches  and  Societies 172 


.  ONTENTS. 


XXIV.     History   of   iin    Press 180 

XXV.     The   Telegraph 184 

\\\   1         I'm-      I>.\\s    OF    STEAMBOATING    AND    STAGING 192 

\  \  \  II.     I'm     Railroads     196 

\\\  ill  Old  Landmarks   \ni>  Incidents  Connected  There- 

Willi 207 

XXIX.     Old   Settlers 214 

\\X.     Conclusion — The    Omaha    <>i    To-day 221 


PREFACE. 


In  this  centennial  year,  now  drawing  to  a  close,  during  which 
nearly  everybody  seemed  to  be  hunting  up  the  records  of  the  past, 
so  full  of  interest  to  us  of  the  present  and  to  those  of  the  hereafter,  it  ap^ 
peared  eminently  proper  to  me  that  an  early  history  of  Omaha  should 
and  ought  to  be  written,  and  early  in  the  year  I  concluded  to  under- 
take the  task.  The  idea,  however,  was  not  fully  conceived  until  after 
Gen.  Estabrook  had  prepared  and  read  his  Centennial  Historical  Ad- 
dress on  the  Fourth  of  July.  That  address  was  brief  and  general, 
but  good  a-  far  as  it  went.  But  it  did  not  go  very  far,  with  all  due 
respect  to  Gen.  Estabrook.  Knowing  that  Omaha  had  an  early  his- 
tory full  of  exciting  and  interesting  incidents — a  history  that  perhaps 
is  unequalled  in  many  respects  by  that  of  any  other  western  city — 
I  determined  then  and  there  to  at  once  carry  out  my  idea  of  a  his- 
tory of  this  city,  which  the  reader  will  find  embodied  in  this  little 
volume. 

I  immediately  commenced  the  work  in  a  systematic  manner,  be- 
ginning with  hunting  up  the  bottom  facts,  and  building  up  on  this 
foundation.  During  a  five  years'  connection  with  the  daily  press  of 
this  city  I  have  had  numerous  opportunities  to  make  and  cultivate 
the  acquaintance  of  the  "  old  settlers."  I  have  improved  '.hose  op- 
portunities, and  have  never  neglected  to  make  a  memorandum  on  the 
tablets  of  my  memory  of  whatever  of  interest  concerning  the  early 
history  of  Omaha,  that  I  may  have  heard  during  my  talks  and 
walks    with   the  "  old   settlers." 

Those  "old  settlers,"  by  the  way,  are  a  very  entertaining  set  of 
persons,  possessed  with  a  charming  vein  of  humor  which  runs 
through  all  their  recitals  of  early  times,  and  I  have  passed  many  a 
pleasant    hour  in    their   society,   on    different    occasions,    while    in     search. 


I  PREFACE. 

of  material  with  which  to  construct  a  readable  history  of  Omaha. 
Thi-v  can  spin  a  vain  to  their  own  satisfaction  as  well  as  to  that  of 
their  audience.  All  that  is  needed  to  set  most  of  them  going  is  to 
draw  them  out,  in  a  reportorial  way.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  may 
be  said  to  have  a  little  egotism  mixed  with  a  good  deal  of  pride — 
characteristics  that  have  been  developed  by  the  rapid  and  substantial 
growth  of  the  beautiful  city  which  they  assisted  to  found  and  build 
up.  Their  pride  is  justly  excusable  on  ■  this  account.  They  have 
seen  and  watched  with  a  tender  care  the  infant  grow  from  childhood 
to   a  healthy    and    vigorous     manhood,    as   it    were. 

Omaha's  history  is  well  worth  handing  down  to  posterity,  and  I 
believe  it  will  prove  of  deep  interest  to  the  many  thousands  of 
people  now  living  here  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  ;  to  those  who 
shall  come  after  us  ;  and  also  to  those  who  have  removed  hence  to 
distant  jioints,  but  whose  memories  still  cling  round  the  spot  with 
a    tender    fondness. 

Believing  that  there  was  a  demand  for  such  a  history  as  this, 
and  knowing  that  such  a  work,  carefully  compiled  and  carefully 
written,  would  meet  with  the  hearty  approval  and  substantial  support 
of  the  citizens  of  Omaha,  I  did  not  hesitate  in  the  enterprise.  I 
have  endeavored  to  present  the  facts — and  facts  only — in  a  readable 
shape,  and  I  know  that  the  style  in  which  they  are  clothed,  is  an 
improvement,  in  some  measure  at_  least,  on  the  necessarily  hurried, 
rough,  and  perhaps  reckless  writing  of  the  daily  newspaper  reporter. 
I  will  say  this  much  for  myself;  as  to  farther  criticism,  be  it  favor- 
hie   or   unfavorable,    I    leave   the   reader  to    make   it. 

Each  chapter  will  be  found  complete  in  itself — a  sort  of  sketch. 
Yet  the  chapters  or  sketches  are  so  arranged  that  they  form  what 
may  be  properly  termed  a  connected  narrative  of  the  early  events 
and  incidents  in  Omaha's  history.  I  have  found  the  writing  of  this 
history  an  entertaining  employment  of  leisure  hours,  and  have  hardly 
■1  the  time  so  spent.  Little  by  little  it  grew  to  a  volume  of  re- 
spectable dimensions.  So  it  was  with  the  city  of  Omaha,  and  so  will 
she  continue  to  increase  in  size,  importance,  wealth,  culture  and 
general  loveliness,  and  never  shall  any  envious  rival  snatch  from  her 
brow  the  laurel  wreath  and  the  title  entwined  therein,  which  she  has 
so  justly  won — "The  Queen   City   of  the   Missouri   Valley." 


PRE  FA  CE.  5 

The  early  history  of  Omaha  is  to  some  extent  the  early  history  of 
Nebraska,  and  this  is  true  to  some  degree  even  in  the  history  of 
later  years.  Hence  we  often  hear  even  now  our  city  referred  to,  by 
jealous  rivals  in  our^  State,  as  the  "  State  of  Omaha,"  and  the  State 
as  its  suburbs. 

The  greater  portion  of  this  volume  has  never  before  appeared  in 
print.  Some  of  it,  however,  has  been  published  before,  but  in  differ- 
ent shape  My  information  has  been  obtained  from  the  very  best 
and  most  reliable  sources— from  the  "  old  settlers"  themselves,  from 
the  early  legislative  journals,  and  from  the  early  newspapers.  For 
valuable  assistance  and  information  I  am  indebted  to  Hon.  A.  J. 
Hanscom,  Hon.  A.  J.  Poppleton,  Gen.  Estabrook,  A.  D  Jones,  Esq., 
Byron  Reed,  Esq.,  Dr.  Miller,  John  A.  Creighton,  John  T.  Bell, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  P.  Snowden,  Mrs.  W.  D.  Brown,  Judge  Porter, 
Martin  Dunham,  Thomas  Riley,  Maj.  Armstrong  and  many  other 
prominent    "old   settlers." 

I  have  drawn  rather  liberally  on  Dr.  Miller,  wtfiose  pen  has  at 
different  times  been  employed  in  recording  ineresting  reminiscences, 
which,  by  the  way,  have  been  about  the  only  early  history  of 
Omaha   that   has   been  given    to    the    public. 

But  to  Byron  Reed,  Esq.,  more  than  to  any  other  one  person,  am 
I  indebted  for  the  accuracy  and  completeness  of  this  history.  He 
has  a  wonderfully  retentive  memory,  and  can  give  names,  dates,  lo- 
cations, and  descriptions  of  persons,  lands,  events  and  incidents  for 
the  last  twenty  years  without  reference  to  a  paper,  document,  or 
book.  He  is  a  walking  encyclopedia  of  general  information  Trom  A 
to  Z.  He  has  in  his  possession  more  valuable  historical  books, 
papers  and  documents  about  Omaha  and  Nebraska  than  any  other 
man  in  the  State.  He  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  this  work  and 
has  imparted  to  me  a  vast  amount  of  local  information  and  has  al- 
lowed me  free  access  to  his  newspaper  files,  legislative  journals. 
books  and  records.  He  has  also  read  the  proofs  from  beginning  to 
end,  so  it  will  be  seen  that  his  assistance  has  enabled  me  to  pre- 
sent a  reliable  history,  which  without  his  aid  would  necessarily  have 
been  incomplete. 

No  expense  has  been  spared  to  make  this  volume  attractive.  Its 
typography    will    compare    with    that  of  any    establishment  in    the    East, 


PREFACE. 

and  speaks  volumes  of  praise  for  the  job  office  of  the  Omaha  Daily  Bee. 
Its  illustrations,  engraved  by  the  Chicago  Engraving  Company,  espe- 
eially  lor  this  book,  cosl  over  $250,  and  are  as  fine  as  will  he  found 
in  any  ordinan  work.  The  original  sketches  were  drawn  by  Charles 
S.  Huntington,  of  this  city,  according  to  the  ideas  given  him  by  my- 
self. The  binding — which  is  an  elegant  dress  in  the  latest  style — 
was  done  by  the  Omaha  Book  Company.  The  entire  cost  of  the 
edition  was  $1,275.  The  expense,  however,  was  entirely  covered  by 
subscriptions  before  a  single  type  was  set,  a  canvass  having  been 
made  by  myself,  and  I  cheerfully  acknowledge  the  fact  that  sufficient 
names  were  secured  not  only  to  guarantee  the  above  amount  but 
something  besides.  I  have  endeavored  to  give  the  public  their 
"money's  worth,"  and  1  think  no  one  can  or  will  say  that  I  have 
not   done  so. 

One  thing  that  has  presented  itself  to  my  mind,  in  the  course  of 
my  researches,  is  the  need  of  an  historical  society,  embracing  not 
only  Omaha  but  the  whole  State,  and  I  here  make  the  suggestion 
that  such  a  society  be  at  once  formed.  There  is  plenty  of  material, 
and  there  are  enough  persons  who  would  take  part  in  it  to  make  it 
a  success.  I  beheve  that  attempts  have  been  made  in  this  direction 
at  different  times.  The  defunct  "  Old  Settlers'  Association "  was 
such  an  organization  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  it  was  allowed  to 
die.  Should  an  historical  society  be  organized  it  would  be  a  wise 
plan  not  to  make  it  in  any  way  exclusive.  The  membership 
should  embrace  everybody  who  can  or  will  contribute  in  any  way 
to    its   usefulness,    to     its    records,  and    to  its    support. 

Omaha,  November,  1876.  ALr.    S. 


THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  OMAHA. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  OMAHA. 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE      BOTTOM     FACTS. 


Lewis   and    clark's    expedition — their    arrival    at    the    future 
site   of    omaha their    council     with    the    indians    at   the 

COUNCIL       BLUFF,       NOW       CALLED       FORT      CALHOUN OLD       INDIAN 

FORTIFICATIONS       AND        .MOUNDS       AT        OMAHA SOME        HISTORICAL 

INQUIRIES    ANSWERED. 

}£jy^  tlie  year  1S04,  which  i.s  a  long  ways  back  for  a 
%  western  city  to  go  for  the  bottom  facts  of  its  history, 
Lewis  and  Clark,  the  well  known  government  explorers, 
started  out  on  their  long,  memorable,  and  adventurous 
expedition  up  the  Missouri  river  and  its  tributaries,  pene- 
trating the  vast  extent  of  territory  known  as  the  great 
North  West,  and  included  in  the  term  -Indian  Territory." 
It  was  an  unexplored  country,  anil  was  embraced  in  what  is 
known  as  the  Louisiana  purchase  from  the  French,  which  was  consum- 
mated in  1803.  The  expedition  consisted  of  about  thirtv-five  men, 
well  armed  and  equipped  and  supplied  with  three  boats  for  the  1111 
dertaking. 

By  reference  to  the  journal  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  published  in  1S14, 
we  find  that  they  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  in  the  latter 
part   ol    July,   1804,  where    they    laid  up  two  or  three  days  for   repairs. 


I/ISTOR1'    OF    OMAHA. 


The  following  extract  from  their  journal,  showing  their  approach 
and  arrival  at  the  spot  where  Omaha  was  afterwards  located,  will 
be   found    of   interest    to   the   reader  : 

.. ,,  i  v    jy.—Having   completed   the   ohject   of  our    stay,   we    set   sail 
with    a    pleasant    breeze   from    the   North   West.     The  two  horses  swam 
over    to    the    Southern    [Western]    shore,    along    which    we    went,    pass- 
in-    by   an    island,   at    three    and    a    half  miles,    formed    by    a   pond,  fed 
bv    springs  ;    three    miles  further   is    a    large    sand    island    in  the   middle 
of  the   river;    the   land   on   the    South  [West]    being  high  and  covered 
with    timber;     that   on    the    North     [East]   a   prairie.      At   ten   and   a 
half   miles     from    our   encampment,   we    saw    and     examined    a    curious 
collection    of    graves    or    mounds,    on    the    South    [West]     side    of   the 
river.     Not   far    from    a  low   piece  of  land   and    a    pond,    is    a    tract   of 
about   two   hundred     acres    in    extent,    which    is   covered    with    mounds 
of   different   heights,   shapes    and    sizes ;     some    of   sand,   and    some    of 
both  earth  and  sand  ;    the    largest  being  near  the  river.     These   mounds 
indicate    the     position    of    the    ancient     village    of    the     Ottoes,     before 
they    retired    to    the    protection    of  the    Pawnees.     After    making   fifteen 
miles,    we   encamped     on    the    South    [East]    on    the    bank   of    a     high, 
handsome    prairie,   with    lofty    cotton-wood    in    groves,    near    the    river." 
It    will    be   noticed  that  the  chroniclers  used   the    word  South,  when 
it  should    have   been   West,  and  North  when  it  should  have  been   East, 
with    reference    to   the    river   as    it    runs    past    Omaha.      This   is    easily 
accounted    for    by    the    fact   that    in    those    days  the    Missouri  river    was 
generally    supposed   to    run    east    and   west,    or    nearly    so. 

The  curious  collection  of  graves  or  mounds,  and  the  tract  ot  two 
hundred  acres  covered  with  mounds  of  different  heights,  shapes  and 
sizes  were  undoubtedly  included  in  that  portion  of  the  city  bounded  on 
the  south  by  Farnham  street,  west  by  Eleventh  street,  and  on  the 
north  and  east  by  the  river  bottoms.  At  different  periods  in  the  history 
of  the  city,  while    excavating  cellars  or   grading   streets  in  this  vicinity, 


HISTORY     OF     OMAHA. 


Indian  graves  have  been  discovered,  and  bones  and  trinkets  and  relics 
have  been  exhumed.  Numerous  mounds,  which  have  long  ago  disap- 
peared, were  found  here  in  early  days.  About  three  years  ago  while 
lower  Douglas  street  was  being  graded  down,  an  Indian's  skeleton 
was  unearthed  on  the  premises  then  owned  and  occupied  by  ex-coun- 
cilman John  Campbell,  at  the  south-east  corner  of  Eleventh  and 
Douglas  streets.  It  was  only  a  few  months  ago,  while  the  workmen 
were  engaged  in  excavating  for  the  foundation  of  the  Third  Ward 
school  house,  at  the  south-east  corner  of  Dodge  and  Eleventh 
streets,  that  they  dug  up  two  Indian  skeletons,  with  a  lot  of  relics, 
among  which  were  numerous  scalp  rings,  to  which  the  hair  still  clung. 
Skeletons  have  also  been  found  outside  of  the  limit  above  described, 
but  the  evidence  is  sufficient  to  convince  us  that  this  is  the  spot 
mentioned    by   Lewis  and    Clark. 

Mere  then  we  have  the  bottom  fact  in  Omaha's  history— the  foun- 
dation on  which  we  shall  proceed  to  construct  our  fabric.  We  shall 
now  follow  Lewis  and  Clark  up  the  river  for  a  short  distance  in 
order  to  snatch  from  Council  Bluffs  some  of  her  glory — to  show  that 
she  stole   her    name. 

From  the  journal  of  Lewis  and  Clark  we  learn  that  they  pro- 
ceeded up  stream,  and  on  August  3rd,  in  the  morning,  they  held  a 
council  with  fourteen  Ottoe  (now  spelled  Otoe)  and  Missouri  Indians, 
who  had  come  to  the  spot  at  sunset  of  the  day  before,  accompanied 
by  a  Frenchman,  who  resided  among  them,  and  who  acted  as  inter- 
preter for  the  council,  which  had  previously  been  arranged  by  runners 
sent  out   for   the   purpose. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  Indians  with  their  six  chiefs,  assembled 
under  an  awning,  formed  with  the  mainsail  of  one  of  the  boats,  in 
the  presence  of  the  exploring  party,  who  were  paraded  for  the  oc- 
casion. The  change  in  the  government,  from  France  to  the  United 
State*,   was   announced    to    them,    and   they    were    promised    protection. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


The  m\  chiefs  replied,  each  in  his  turn,  according  to  rank,  ex 
pressing  joy  and  satisfaction  at  the  change.  They  wished  to  be 
recommended  to  the  great  lather,  the  President,  that  they  might 
obtain  supplies  and  facilities  for  trading.  They  wanted  arms  for 
defence,  and  asked  mediation  between  themselves  and  the  Mahas,* 
with  whom   they    were  at    war. 

Lewi-  and  Clark  promised  to  fulfill  the  requests  of  the  Indians, 
and  wanted  some  of  them  to  accompany  the  expedition  to  the  next 
nation,  but  they  declined  to  do  so  for  fear  of  being  killed.  Numer- 
ous presents  were  distributed  among  the  Indians,  and  on  account  of 
the  incidents  just  related  the  explorers  were  induced  to  give  the 
place  the  name  of  the  Council  Bluff,  the  situation  of  which,  as  they 
record    it,     was    exceedingly     favorable    for    a     fort    or    a    trading    post. 

Here  we  take  leave  of  Lewis  and  Clark.  The  place  of  their 
council — the  Council  Bluff — was  about  sixteen  or  eighteen  miles  in  a 
straight  line  north  of  Omaha,  and  about  forty  miles  by  the  river — the 
site  of  old  Ft.  Calhoun,  and  now  the  location  of  the  village  of 
that  name.  It  has  been  conclusively  settled  that  this  point  was  the 
historical  Council  Bluffs.  Father  de  Smet,  the  well  known  Jesuit 
missionary,  who  was  considered  good  authority  concerning  any  ques- 
tion about  the  Missouri  river  country,  over  which  he  had  often 
traveled,  and  who  lived  where  Council  Bluffs  is  now  located,  opposite 
Omaha,  in  183N  and  [839,  in  a  letter  to  A.  D.  Jones,  dated  St.  Louis, 
December  9,  1S67,  said  in  answer  to  some  historical  interrogatories, 
that  Ft.  Calhoun  took  the  name  of  Ft.  Atkinson,  which  was  built 
on  the  very  spot  where  the  council  was  held  by  Ltwis  and  Clark, 
and  was  the  highest  and  first  military  post  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Nebraska    or  Platte    riser,  j 

Omahas  are  called  the  Mahas  throughout  the  entire  journal  of   Lewis  and  Clark, 
as  well  as  in  all  other  early  records.     The  "  O  "  is  a  prefix  of  comparatively  recent  date, 
t  Ft.  Atkinson   was   built  in   1821,  and   was   evacuated   in    i8_>7  or   '28. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  13 

In  answer  to  the  inquiry  of  Mr.  Jones,  as  to  where  old  Ft. 
Croghan  was  located,  Father  de  Smet  replied  :  "  After  the  evacuation 
of  Ft.  Atkinson  or  Calhoun,  either  in  18^7  or  '2S,  or  thereahouts,  the 
troops  came  down  and  made  winter  quarters  on  Cow  Island — Captain 
Labarge  states  it  was  called  Camp  Croghan.  The  next  spring  the 
flood  disturbed  the  soldiers  and  they  came  down  and  established 
Ft.  Leavenworth.  Col.  Leavenworth  was  commandant  at  the  break- 
ing up  of  Ft.    Atkinson." 

Mr.  Jones  also  asked  Father  de  Smet  if  he  knew  who  built  or 
occupied  the  fortifications,  the  remains  of  which  were  (in  186S)  on 
the  east  bank  of  Omaha.  Father  de  Smet  says  :  "The  remains 
alluded  to  must  be  the  site  of  the  old  trading  post  of  Mr.  Heart. 
When  it  was  in  existence  the  Missouri  River  ran  up  to  the  trading 
post.  In  1832  the  river  left  it,  and  since  that  time  it  goes  bv  the 
name  of  '  Heart's  Cut-off,'  having  [leaving]  a  large  lake  above 
Council  Bluff  city." 

Right  here,  in  the  above  paragraph,  we  are  made  aware  of  the 
interesting  fact  that  the  ever-shifting  Missouri  river  ran  close  up  to  the 
bluffs  on  the  west  side  ;  whereas,  now  the  channel  has  changed  its  lo- 
cation fully  half  a  mile  to  the  eastward — at  least  that  far  from  the 
foot  of  Douglas  and  Farnham  streeN.  leaving  between  it  and  the 
bluffs  a  vast  tract  of  sandy  bottoms,  now  occupied  by  lumber  vards, 
railroad     tracks,    the    Union    Pacific     Shops   and    the    Smelting    Works. 

These  fortifications  were  near  the  junction  of  Capitol  avenue  and 
Ninth  street,  and  Dodge  and  Tenth  streets.  The  well  defined  out- 
lines of  a  fort,  or  some  other  kind  of  defensive  works,  were  plainly 
visible  until  obliterated  by  the  government  corral  built  there  during 
the  war.  This  fort,  as  has  been  well  maintained  by  A.  D.  Jones  in 
opposition  to  different  opinions,  was  built  by  the  Otoes  for  protection 
against  hostile  tribe«.  Some  have  held  that  these  now  extinct  forti- 
fications   were    none   other   than    old    Ft.    Croghan,    indicated    upon    the 


,4  HJSTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


early  maps,  but  Mr.  Jones,  who  is  the  best  authority  in  our  opinion, 
and  he  is  sustained  h.\  numerous  other  old  settlers  beside  himself,  is 
certain  that  Ft.  Croghan  was  upon  the  east  side  of  the  river  between 
Council  Bluffs  and  Trader's  Point,  the  latter  point,  the  original  place 
being  no  longer  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  having  been  washed  away 
by    the    Missouri. 

Another  inquiry  which  was  propounded  by  Mr.  Jones,  who,  while 
secretary  of  the  Omaha  Old  Settlers'  Association  in  1867-68,  evidently 
faithfully  performed  his  duty  and  was  frequently  engaged  in  hunt- 
ing up  the  records  of  the  past,  was  :  "  Do  you  know  of  either  soldiers 
or  Indians  ever  having  resided  on  the  Omaha  plateau?"  Father  de 
Sniet's  answer  was  :  "  I  do  not  know.  A  noted  trader,  by  the  name 
of  T.  B.  Rove,  had  a  trading  post  from  1S25  till  1S28,  established 
on  the  Omaha  plateau,  and  may  be  the  first  white  man,  who  built 
the  first  cabin,  on  the  beautiful  plateau,  where  now  stands  the 
flourishing   city    of  Omaha." 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


lS 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE     MORMONS. 


A    FEW      LINES     OF      MORMON"      HISTORY WINTER     QUARTERS MILLER'S 

HILL,  AFTERWARDS     KANESVILLE,    AND    FINALLY    COUNCIL    BLUFFS 

HOW    COUNCIL    BLUFFS    STOLE    HER    NAME. 

IGHT  here  we  wish  to  bring  in  a  brief  chapter  of 
Mormon  history.  The  Mormons,  driven  to  this 
western  country,  came  to  Iowa,  and  finally,  after 
looking  around  for  a  short  time,  they  all,  with  the 
<flv*$V  exception  of  some  stragglers,  crossed  the  Missouri 
river  during  the  years  1845  anc*  1846,  and  located  a 
settlement  of  over  15,000  people,  six  miles  north  of 
Omaha,  calling  the  place  Winter  Quarters,  by  which 
name  it  went  until  seven  or  eight  years  afterwards,  when  it  was 
changed    to    Florence,    which   it   has   ever   since    been   called. 

The  Indians  in  their  neighborhood  complained  to  their  agent 
that  the  Mormons  were  cutting  too  much  timber,  and  they  were 
accordingly  ordered  off  the  land,  which  belonged  to  the  redskins. 
A  large  number  of  them  then  recrossed  the  river  to  the  Iowa  side, 
and  temporarily  settled  in  the  ravines  among  the  bluffs.  An  expedi- 
tion* consisting  of  eighty  wagons,  with  four  men  to  each  wagon,  was 
sent  westward  to  hunt  up  a  permanent  location.  They  stopped  not 
at  any  point,  for  any  great  length  of  time,  till  they  arrived  at  Salt 
Lake.  The  expeditionists  were  here  charmed  with  the  beauties  of 
the    spot,    and    were    pleated    with    its    remoteness    from    their    religious 


i6  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


persecutors.  Having  made  ;i  settlemenl  there,  they  sent  back  for 
the  remainder  of  the  Mormons,  the  most  of  whom  proceeded  on 
their  pilgrimage  to  the  New  Jerusalem — Salt  Lake — between  the 
\c.ii  is;;  and  iS6o.  Nearly  all  their  trains  were  started  from 
Florence.  A  few  of  the  Mormons  still  reside  at  Florence,  Omaha  and 
Council    Bluffs,    hut    none   of  them    practice    polygamy. 

While  the  Mormons  were  the  principal  population  of  Council 
Bluffs  it  was  called  Miller's  Hill  for  a  short  time,  and  then  changed 
to  Kanesville,  in  honor  of  a  Mormon  elder  named  Kane,  which 
name    it    retained    for    several    years. 

In  [S52  the  citizens  of  Kanesville  sent  for  A.  D.  Jones,  who  was 
a  surveyor  in  his  younger  days,  and  was  then  residing  at  Glenwood, 
Iowa,  to  come  and  survey  their  town  for  them.  At  Trader's  Point, 
below  Kanesville,  was  a  post-office  called  Council  Bluffs,  and  every- 
body coming  to  this  country  at  that  time,  would,  upon  being  asked, 
say  that  they  were  going  to  Council  Bluffs.  After  Kanesville  had 
been  surveyed  as  a  town  by  Mr.  Jones,  the  citizens  wanted  a  new 
name  for  the  place,  and  agreed  upon  a  change.  The  question  then 
arose  as  to  what  it  should  be.  Mr.  Jones,  it  is  said,  suggested  the 
name  of  Council  Bluffs,  on  the  ground  that  they  ought  to  have  a 
name  that  would  catch  all  the  mail  matter  as  well  as  the  emigrants 
— scattered  all  the  way  from  Sioux  City  south  to  Sidney — to  whom 
it  was  directed.  As  nearly  all  the  letters  for  these  emigrants  were 
being  directed  to  the  Council  Bluffs  post-office  at  Trader's  Point, 
the  suggestion  to  steal  that  name  and  add  to  it  the  word  "  City," 
making  the  new  Kanesville  post-office  Council  Bluffs  City,  was 
accepted.  The  place  was  accordingly  called  Council  Bluffs  City 
for  a  while,  thus  securing  control  of  all  the  mail  matter  of  the 
rival  office,  which  was  finally  broken  up.  When  Council  Bluffs 
Cit\  got  strong  enough,  the  citizens  demanded  and  obtained  a 
charter,  and  then    the  "City"  was  dropped  out,  the  bill  being  introduced 


HIS  TO  li  2'    OF    OMAHA.  17 

by    Hadley    D.   Johnson,    who    was   a   member    of  the    Iowa  legislature, 
and  who  afterwards  became    a   resident   of  Omaha. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Council  Bluffs  stole  her  name.  It  has 
also  been  clearly  demonstrated  that  she  is  not  the  original  Council 
Bluff  of  Lewis  and  Clark.  Gen.  Estabrook  truly  says,  "  This,  if 
the  first,  is  not  the  only  good  thing  tributaiy  to  her  notoriety  that 
Council    Bluffs  nas    stolen    from    this    side    of  the    river.  ' 


i8 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE     PIONEERS 


WM.  I).  BROWN'S  "LONE  TREE  FERRY" — MR.  BROWN  IN  1853  TAKES 
UP  A  CLAIM  COVERING  THE  FUTURE  SITE  OF  OMAHA — ORGANI- 
/  V1ION     OF     THE     STEAM      FERRY     COMPANY — OTHER      CLAIMS      MADE 

DURING      I'lllS    YEAR A.    D.    JONES'    CLAIM MR.    JONES     APPLIES    FOR 

\      POSTMASTERSHIP      AND      RECEIVES      HIS      APPOINTMENT      IN      THE 
SPRING     OF     1S54. 


pf  MAHA,  as  it  has  been  aptly  said,  had  a  history  be- 
ils^hA-^i)  l("e  'l  nat'  a  name-  I"  me  opening  chapter  of  this 
tl^/*b<  work,  wo  have  given  the  history — as  much  as  was  in 
1V^^  our  power  to  obtain — of  the  spot  where  Lewis  and  Clark 
I -U'VL?'  landed  in  1804,  and  on  which  Omaha  was  destined  to  be 
founded,  fifty  years  afterwards.  The  intervening  period  is 
not  known  to  have  been  marked  by  any  other  important 
historical  incidents  than  those  already  related.  Taking  a  jump,,  as 
we  might  say,  of  about  half  a  century,  we  come  to  the  time  when 
Omaha  sprang    into   existence. 

The  majority  of  the  founders,  or  first  inhabitants  of  Omaha, 
came  over  from  Council  Bluffs  and  vicinity,  where  they  had  resided 
one,  two,  or  three  or  more  years.  The  California  emigration,  which 
had  been  in  progress  for  three  or  four  years,  was  then  at  its  height, 
and  many  of  the  emigrants  who  had  started  for  the  Occident  with 
golden  dreams  and  visions  halted  by  the  wayside  in  Iowa,  attracted 
by  the  natural  beauties  and  the  fertile  resources  of  that  State. 
Council    Bluffs    thus    became   the    stopping    place   of    many    who    aban- 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  19 

doned  the  idea  of  making  the  long,  tedious  and  dangerous  overland 
trip  to  California,  and  of  these  there  were  many  who  afterwards 
came    to  Omaha  and    permanently    located    here. 

William  D.  Brown,  a  pioneer,  who  had  from  his  youth  always 
been  a  little  in  advance  of  civilization  in  its  westward  march,  was 
one  of  the  many  who  started  for  California  during  the  years 
1849  and  1S50.  He  had  been  for  several  years  a  resident  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  Henry  County,  Iowa,  of  which  county  he  was  the  first 
sheriff,  having  been  elected  to  the  office  in  January,  1837.  He 
stopped  at  Council  Bluffs,  and  seeing  that  there  was  money  to  be 
made  in  the  ferry  business  across  the  Missouri  river  at  this  point, 
to  accommodate  the  California  travel,  which  was  being  ferried  at 
Florence,  Bellevue  and  at  other  places,  he  embarked  in  the  enterprise 
shortly  afterwards,  either  in  1S51  or  1852.  Obtaining  a  charter  from 
the  Pottawattamie  County  Commissioners,  he  equipped  his  new  ferry 
line  with  a  flat-boat  which  was  rowed  with  oars.  This  ferry  was 
for  a  long  time  called  the  "  Lone  Tree  Ferry,"  from  a  solitary  tree 
at   which    the   boat   arrived     and     departed,   on     this    side   of  the    river. 

The  Lone  Tree  stood  for  several  years,  and  the  immediate 
vicinity  became  quite  a  notorious  spot,  owing  to  the  ferry  landing 
being  continued  there.  Although  it  may  be  getting  a  little  ahead 
of  our  narrative,  it  will  not  be  entirely  out  of  place  to  relate  an 
incident  that  occurred  near  the  Lone  Tree  in  1S60.  A  noted  desper- 
ado named  Bill  Lane  had  established  a  saloon  and  dance  house  of 
very  loud  character  there.  It  had  become  a  very  rough  place,  and 
was  working  a  great  deal  of  harm.  One  night  a  crowd  of  men 
went  to  his  "  ranche,"  and  gave  him  twenty-four  hours  to  leave  town. 
In  a  few  hours  he  packed  up  everything,  even  the  lumber  of  which 
his  shanty  had  been  constructed,  and  putting  his  effects  on  a  steam- 
boat he    left   for    Leavenworth. 

Notwithstanding     his     poor     facilities    for     transportation,    the    ferry 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


,    profitable    undertaking   to   Mr.    Brown,   the   pioneer 
ferryman,   who  was   also    the  firsl    pioneer  of   Omaha.       He   also  en- 
n    the   hotel    business   at     Council    Bluffs,   being   for  some   time 
,;t    partner   in    the   Bluff  City    House. 
The     beautiful    and    commanding    position    ot     the    future    site     of 
Omaha   ;      its    plateau,    where    now    stands    the    business   portion    of  the 
•own  ;    it-   numerous   hills,    especially    Capitol    Hill,    one    and  all    now 
thicklj    dotted    with   magnificent    residences    and    picturesque    grounds  ; 
all    these    attractive    features    combined,    impressed    upon     the    far-seeing 
Brown    the    tact    thai    this    Bpo1    was    destined    to    be    the    location    of  a 
iin     at     some    day.       "Westward    the    star  of  empire     take,s    its 
way.''      Tin-   i^reat    tide    of  travel    was    then,    as    il    is    now,    towards   the 
Occident.     The    site  of   Omaha  v;b    west    of  Council    Bluffs,    and   it   was 
a    well    known     fait    thai    for  years    the  cities    on    the    line    of   the    west- 
ern emigration   which    were    located    on   the    west    bank    of  the  streams 
had    always    sC„>n     eclipsed    those   on    the    east    bank    in    growth.      The 
..>    near  the    river,    ami    at   that    time   the    head    of  navigation    on 
the    Missouri.      These    facts    also    had    great    weight    with  the    men    who 
were    to   found   the    city. 

Mr.  Brown,  while  superintending  his  ferry,  frequently  came  over 
to  the  Nebraska  shore  and  looked  over  the  location  of  the  proposed 
'he  idea  of  starting  which  originated  with  himself.  He  made 
a  claim  in  1853,  which  about  covered  the  town  site  as  it  was  after- 
wards laid  out.  His  claim  was  the  first  made,  and  it  was  located  at 
a    tin..  J!i\     treat}     was     effected    with    the     Indians,     which    im- 

portant   event    did    not    transpire    till    the    next   year. 

(>i    course    many    of   the    people    of  Council    Bluffs,    who    afterwards 

i    a'    Omaha,  undoubtedly   took    advantage    of  Mr.    Brown's    ferry 

it     tins     lovely     spot,     either    in     excursions    for    pleasure,    or     in 

small     prospecting    parties,    to    get     an    idea    of     the    situation     with     a 

view    of   making   claim-,    and    of    carrying    out,    at    the    earliest   practic- 


HIS  TORT    OF    OH  TA  HA . 


able  moment,  the  project  of  Mr.  Brown — the  idea  of  which  he  had 
imparted  to  others — of  founding  a  town,  the  future  great  city  of  the 
Missouri    Valley. 

Among  those,  besides  Mr.  Brown,  who  favorably  considered  the 
enterprise,  were  Dr.  Enos  Lowe,  Jesse  Lowe,  Jesse  Williams,  and 
Joseph  II.  D.  Street,  all  of  whom  resided  at  Kanesville  or  Council 
Bluffs.  This  was  in  June,  [853,  and  on  July  23d,  1853,  a  steam  ferry 
company,  under  the  name  of  "  The  Council  Bluffs  and  Nebraska 
Ferry  Company,"  was  organized  under  the  general  corporation  laws 
of  Iowa,  their  charter  to  continue  twenty  years.  The  president  was 
Dr.  Enos  Lowe,  and  the  other  members  were  Tootle  &  Jackson,  S.  S- 
Bayliss,  Joseph  II.  D.  Street.  Henn  and  Williams,  Samuel  R.  Curtis, 
Tanner    and    Downs,    and    others. 

Mr.  Brown,  not  having  mean-  enough  to  carry  out  his  scheme 
alone,  had  previously  sold  six-eighths  of  his  ferry  interest  and  of  his 
claim  to  most  of  the  above  persons,  and  the  organization  of  the  Ferry 
Company  was  the  result,  Mr.  Brown  still  retaining  his  interest,  which 
consisted  of  two-eighths.  He  afterwards  sold  one  of  these  eighths  to 
S.  R.  Curtis,  who  did  not  comply  with  the  terms  of  purchase,  and 
the  land  included  in  this  share  was  accordingly  reclaimed  by  Brown. 
Curtis,  in  the  course  of  events,  set  up  his  claim  to  it  again,  and  the 
result  was,  in  after  years,  a  long  and  tedious  law  suit,  which  was 
finally   compromised. 

Among  those  who  crossed  the  river  in  1S53,  to  prospect,  was  A.  D. 
Jones,  Tom  Allen  and  Bill  Allen,  who  came  over  in  November,  in 
a  leakv  scow,  borrowed  from  Mr.  Brown,  One  rowed,  one  steered, 
and  the  other  had  all  he  could  do  to  bail  out  the  water  as  fast  as 
it  came  in.  They  landed  down  (he  river  in  the  vicinity  of  where 
Boyd'8  packing  house  is  now  located.  They  there  staked  out  their 
claims,  the  north  line  of  Mr.  Joiu'n'  claim  being  marked  out  on  the 
north    '-ill'-   of  the    present    residence   of    Herman     Kountze.       All    that 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


land   was   long   ago  attached   to   the  citj    proper   in  an  addition.     Mr. 

maintains   thai    his   was   the   firsl    claim,  and   that  he   is  entitled 

to   ihe    honor    of  being    railed    the   pioneer   squatter  and  first  settler; 

u-    is    a  difference   of   opinion   on   this    matter,  as  will  be  shown 

in   the   course  of  this   truthful    history.      He    was  notified    to  leave    by 

the    [ndian   agent,    Mr.    Hepner,   as   the    Indian    title   to   the    land   had 

eeq    yel     extinguished.      Other    claimants,    too,   were    served     the 

Bame    way,  we  Buppose,   and   the   command   was   obeyed. 

Mr.  [ones  then  applied  for  the  establishment  of  a  post-office  here, 
a  piece  of  strategy  to  enable  him  to  hold  his  claim.  The  applica- 
tion nsu*  made  through  J.  D.  Test,  of  Council  Bluffs,  and  resulted 
successfully  in  the  spring  of  1S54.  We  have  seen  the  original  do- 
cument-, and  therefore  know  of  what  we  write. 
The    correspondence    was   as    follows  : 

Washington  City,  May  6,   1854. 
Dr.    Test  : — Yours  of    the     10th    ultimo,    relative    to    Omaha    City 
post-office,    has    been    received.       I     got    the    office    established     to-day, 
and    had    A.  I).  Jones    appointed    postmaster.      Yours    truly, 

Bernhart  Henn. 


Washington  City,  Mav  6,  1854. 
A     1).   JONES,  Omaha  City,  Nebraska  Ter., 

Dear  Sir: — Yours  of  the  15th  instant  has  been  received,  but  as 
route  bill  has  already  received  final  action,  I  cannot  carry 
out  your  suggestion  as  to  the  route  from  Council  Bluffs  to  Omaha 
City  at  this  session.  Perhaps,  however,  it  is  not  necessarv,  as  it  is 
already  covered  by  the  route  I  had  established,  last  Congress,  from 
Council  Bluffs  to  Ft.  Laramie,  and  although  said  route  has  not  been 
1  may  get  that  part  put  in  operation  by  petitioning  the  De- 
partment   to    do    -o  ;     which    course    I    would    suggest     be   adopted    at 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  23 


once.     If  you   do   so,   send   me   the  petition   directed   to   Fairfield,   and 
I    will    forward   them.  Yours  truly, 

Bernhart  Henn. 

This  then  must  have  heen  the  very  first  letter  directed  to  Omaha 
City,  and  that,  too,  at  a  time  before  there  was  anybody  livino-  here 
and   before   the   town   was   surveyed. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE     I  \  1 1  I  A  N  s 


BXTINGUISHMEN1  OI  ["HE  INDIAN  TITLE  TO  THE  LAND — THE  FON- 
MMM.i  FAMILY— LOGAN  FONTENELLE,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OMAHA9 
—His     DEATH      \NI>     BURIAL— A      MAN     SKINNED     ALIVE     BY     THE     IN- 

HI  \N" 

RING  the  month  of  February,  1854,  Maj.  Gatewood, 
[ndian  agent  lor  the  tribes  in  this  vicinity,  called  them 
t  igether  at  Bellevue,  which  had  been  for  a  long  time 
an  [ndian  mission,  and  there  discussed  the  subject  of 
their  making  a  treaty  by  which  they  would  yield  up 
the  title  to  their  land.  The  treaties  were  made  in 
C3?!f^\S-  March  and    April,  which  resulted  in  the  passage  of  the 

enabling  act  of  Nebraska  Territory  in  1S54.  Franklin  Pierce  was 
then  President,  and  George  W.  Manypenny,  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs. 

tribes    who    signed   the   treaties    were   the    Otoes,    the    Missouris, 
and    the    Omahas.       The     terms    of    the    treaty    with    each    were    liberal 
and    satisfactory,  and    little    or  no  trouble   was   experienced    in    their    re- 
moval   to   the    reservations    provided    for   them,  the    removal    being    ef- 
I    gradually    within  a  year   or    two. 
Shon-ga-ska,    or    Logan     Fontenelle,     who     was    the    chief   of    the 
Omaha-    at    this    time,    was    a   very    intelligent  man,   and    the   history    of 
ontenelle     family,    in    this    connection,     will     prove    an    interesting 
reader. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA.  25 

Lucien  Fontenelle,  born  in  New  Orleans  about  the  year  1S00,  of 
French  parents,  was  a  gentleman  of  good  education,  and  one  that 
possessed  every  indication  of  having  been  well  raised.  He  came  to- 
this  western  country  about  the  year  1S24,  in  the  employ  of  Major 
Joshua  Pilcher,  and  took  an  Omaha  squaw — a  high-toned  belle  of 
the  tribe — for  his  wife.  He  was  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade  in  1835. 
in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Laramie  with  a  Mr.  Drips.  The  building 
was  standing  at  Bellevue  until  a  few  years  ago,  and  it  may  be  there 
yet,    in    which   they   stored    their    goods    for    the    mountain    trade. 

He  treated  his  Indian  wife  very  kindly,  and  gave  his  children  a 
good  education  in  St.  Louis.  The  children  left  St.  Louis  in  1S36  or 
1837,  and  resided  at  Bellevue  with  their  mother.  There  were  four 
boys   and   one  girl. 

In  1S39  Lucien  Fontenelle  abandoned  his  mountain  trade,  and 
lived  with  his  family  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  spring  of 
1S40.  and  was  caused  by  the  too  excessive  use  of  liquor,  which 
brought   on    delirium    tremens. 

For  the  following  interesting  facts  concerning  the  Fontenelle  family 
we  are  indebted  to  an  "  Old  Pawnee,"  who  has  written  several  chap- 
ters of  the  early  history  of  Nebraska  for  the  Omaha  Herald,  at 
various  times,  and    it  is  from  one  of  these  sketches  th  at  we  quote  : 

"  Logan,  the  oldest  son,  was  a  remarkable  boy  ;  active,  with  quick 
perception,  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  but  he  imbibed  something 
of  the  habit  of  his  father,  and  was  finally  killed  by  the  Sioux,  but 
not  till  he  had  fought  bravely  to  the  last.  Albert  was  a  fine  boy, 
of  good  disposition,  had  partially  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and 
at  his  death  was  Pawnee  government  smith,  with  John  Snuffen. 
lie  was  thrown  from  a  mule,  which  caused  his  death.  Tecumseh 
was  killed  by  Louis  Neal  brother-in-law)  in  a  drunken  frolic.  He 
was  an  intelligent  man,  but  not  naturally  as  agreeable  as  the  other 
children.       Henry     and     Susan    (Mrs.     Neal)     were    still    living    in     [870? 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

Or    is;i.    when   this   sketch    was  written.     Henry  served  as  an  appren- 

■     the     wagon     business     in    St.    Louis,     and    is    very    handy   with 

Hi   fact,    they    were   a    remarkable    family,    had  been    well    raised 

and     were    gentle    in    their    manners.     The    mother    was    a    remarkable 

,.   and    in    is;, )   performed   a   brave  act. 

"There   was  an   Iowa   Indian  who  headed    a   party   of  Iowas  to  pay 

tmahas    a    friendly     visit,   who    were   then    living  at   or   near   the 

site   of  Omaha   City.       After   being   well    received    and   kindly 

treated   by   the  Omahas   they   left  the  village  to  return  home,  and  near 

Bellevue     met     a    small     party     of    Omahas     and     killed    some    four  of 

Mrs.    Fontenelle's    relatives,    and    stuck    a   spear    through   a    half  breed 

Omaha    bov     (after    killing    his     mother)    by     the     name   of   Karsener. 

They    stuck    the    spear    through    the     left    breast,   and     pinned  him    to 

rround.      Some    of  the    Indians   said    'Don't   kill    that    boy;    he    is 

a    white   bov.'       The    Iowa    Indians    replied,    '  A   white    man's   blood   is 

une    to    ns    as    an     Omaha's,'    and     left    the   boy    pinned     to    the 

ground. 

"Mrs.  Fontenelle  from  that  time  sought  revenge  on  that  Iowa,  and 
made  some  two  or  three  attempts  to  kill  him,  but  did  not  succeed. 
At  length  the  time  came.  At  the  Bellevue  landing  stood  an  old 
trading  post,  in  which  there  were  several  buildings,  with  the  Otoe, 
Omaha  and  Pawnee  smith-shops  and  the  houses  of  the  employes, 
and  Rev.  Moses  Merrill  and  family.  This  same  Iowa,  with  others, 
was  there,  and  one  of  the  assistant  smiths,  by  the  name  of  Shaw, 
had  procured  a  keg  of  whisky,  of  which  he  was  so  extremely  fond 
that  he  took  too  much  of  the  article,  and  the  Iowas  broke  open 
the  shop  and  stole  his  keg.  They  imbibed  so  freely  that  they  were 
getting  up  a  jubilee,  when  Hannibal  Dougherty,  the  agent's  brother, 
took  an  axe,  and  broke  the  keg  and  spilled  the  whisky.  There  was 
an  old  Frenchman,  by  the  name  of  Sharlo  Malice,  who  got  dead 
drunk  sucking   up    the    dirt.     The    Iowa    Indian    above    mentioned,    lay 


HIS  TORI     OB     OMAHA.  27 

drunk  in  one  of  the  buildings  of  the  fort  that  stood  endwise  to  the 
river,  when  Mrs.  Fontenelle  deliberately  took  an  axe  and  knocked 
his  brains  out,  then  jumped  some  ten  feet  out  of  a  four-light  win- 
dow, down  the  bank,  and  ran  home.  That  night  war  was  expected, 
but  the  Iowas  showed  no  fight,  cowardly  returning  home  after  bur- 
rving    him   who   received   his    just   fate. 

••  Mr.  Fontenelle  was  then  up  at  his  fort,  in  the  mountains,  and 
Major  Pilcher  had  her  taken  to  the  village  of  the  Omahas,  who  were  then 
living  at  the  Black  Bird  hills,  near  where  they  now  dwell.  Some 
two  months  after  Mr.  Fontenelle  came  to  Bellevue  and  sent  an 
escort  of  Omahas  for  his  wife,  to  whom  he  paid  about  $1,000  worth 
of  presents    for   bringing    her   down." 

Logan  Fontenelle,  the  son  of  Lucien  Fontenelle,  became  chief  of 
the  Omahas.  He  was  of  medium  height,  of  swarthy  complexion 
black  hair  and  dark  piercing  eyes.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occured  while  bravely  battling  against  the  Sioux,  he  was  thirty  years 
of  age.  Concerning  his  death  and  burial  S.  D.  Bangs'  Centennial 
History  of  Sarpy  County    contains    the  following   account: 

"In  the  middle  of  the  summer  of  1855  a  procession  might  have 
been  seen  wending  its  way  towards  the  old  home  of  Logan  Fontenelle 
on  the  bluffs  overlooking  the  Missouri  river  and  above  the  stone 
quarries  at  Bellevue.  It  moved  slowly  along,  led  by  Louis  San-so- 
eee,  who  was  driving  a  team  with  a  wagon  in  which,  wrapped  in 
blankets  and  buffalo  robes,  was  all  that  was  mortal  of  Logan  Fon- 
tenelle, the  chief  of  the  Omahas.  On  either  side  the  Indian  chiefs 
and  braves  mounted  on  ponies,  with  the  squaws  and  relatives  of  the 
deceased,  expressed  their  grief  in  mournful  outcries.  His  remains 
were  taken  to  the  house  which  he  had  leh  a  short  time  before,  and 
now,  desolate  and  afflicted,  they  related  the  incidents  of  his  death. 
He  had  been  killed  by  the  Sioux  on  the  Loup  Fork  thirteen  days 
before,    while    on     a    hunt    with    the   Omahas.      Having   left   the  main 


HISTORY    OF    o.U.U/A. 


body  with  San-so-see  in  pursuil  of  game,  and  while  in  a  ravine  that 
hid  them  from  the  sighl  of  the  Omahas,  they  came  in  contact  with 
a  hand  o\  Sioux  on  the  war-path,  who  attacked  them.  San-so-see 
escaped  in  some  thick  underbrush  while  Fontenelle  stood  his  ground, 
fighting  desperately  and  killing  three  of  his  adversaries,  when  he 
fell,  pierced  with  fourteen  arrows,  and  the  prized  scalp-lock  was 
taken  by  hi-  enemies.  The  Omahas  did  not  recover  his  body  until 
the    next    day. 

••  It  was  the  wish  of  Col.  Sarpy  to  have  him  interred  on  the 
bluffs,  fronting  the  house  in  which  he  had  lived,  and  a  coffin  was 
made  which  proved  too  small  without  unfolding  the  blankets  which 
enveloped  him,  and  as  he  had  been  dead  so  long,  this  was  a  dis- 
agreeable task.  After  putting  him  in  the  coffin,  his  wives  who  wit- 
nessed the  scene  uttered  the  most  piteous  cries,  cutting  their  ankles 
until  the  blood  r-.n  in  streams.  An  old  Indian  woman  who  looked 
like  the  Witch  of  Endor,  standing  between  the  house  and  the  grave, 
lifted  her  arms  to  Heaven  and  shrieked  her  maledictions  upon  the 
heads  of  his  murderers.  Colonel  Sarpy,  Stephen  Decatur,  Mrs.  Sloan, 
an  Otoe  half  breed,  and  others  stood  over  the  grave  where  his  body 
was  being  lowered,  and  while  Decatur  was  reading  the  impressive 
funeral  service  of  the  Episcopal  church,  he  was  interrupted  by  Mrs. 
Sloan,  who  stood  by  his  side  ami  in  a  loud  tone  told  him  that  'a 
man  of  his  character  ought  to  he  ashamed  of  himself  to  make  a 
mockerv  of  the  Christian  religion  by  reading  the  solemn  services  ot 
the  church.  He  proceeded,  however,  until  the  end.  After  the 
whites,  headed  by  Col.  Sarpy,  had  paid  their  last  respects,  the  Indi- 
ans tiled  around  the  grave,  and  made  a  few  demonstrations  of  sor- 
row ;  the  white-  dispersing  to  their  homes,  and  the  Indians  to  relate 
their   own    exploits    and    the    daring   of  their   dead    chief." 

As  this  chapter  is  headed  "The  Indians,"  we  know  of  no  more 
appropriate    place    than    right     here     to     relate     an    event    that    occurred 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  29 


about   1852,  at  a  place  on  the  military  road,  about  five  miles  beyond  the 
Elkhorn.     It    was    the  actual    skinning   of  a  man   alive    by    the    Pawnee 
Indians,    and    as    it     is    the    only    act    of    the    kind    probably    ever    per- 
formed   in    this   vicinity,    it    is    well    worth   recording.      Gen.    Estabrook 
informs   us    that   he    happened  to  know    the   man.  who    was    the    victim 
of  the    Pawnees'    wrath.      His    name    was    Rhines,    a    silversmith,    who 
was    once   a  resident  of    Geneva,    Wisconsin,    but   who    shortly   previous 
to    his  coming   west,  en    route    to    California,    lived    at  Delavan,    in    the 
same   State.      A    man     bearing    the    same     name    as     Gen.     Estabrook, 
of  whom  he  was   a   distant    relative,  was    one   of  the   party,    and   wrote 
back  to  Wisconsin    an    account   of  the  horrible    affair   before    Gen.    Es- 
tabrook ever    expected    to    reside   so    near    the    scene    of  its    occurence. 
It  appears  that   Rhines    had    made    a    foolish    boast,    before   starting 
from  home,  to  the   effect  that  he   would  shoot   the  first  Indian    he    saw. 
In    due   time    the    party  arrived  in   Nebraska,  and   camped   one   evening 
on    the  bank  of  a   stream,    which   at    that    time  was   nameless.     As    the 
train    was    about   ready    to  move   out    the   next   morning,  a  small    party 
of  vounc    Indians,    who    had    come    across   the    river    from    the    Pawnee 
village  on  the  opposite  side,  approached  the  encampment.     These   were 
the   first    Indians    the    party    had    seen,    and    Rhines   was    thereupon    re- 
minded  of  his   boast.      He   immediately    picked   up   his    rifle,  took   aim 
at   a  young  squaw,   and   shot  her  dead.     The   news  was    carried  to    the 
Pawnee  village  at  once,  and  the  party  of  whites  were  soon  surrounded 
by    the    exasperated    Indians    who    demanded    and    obtained    possession 
of    Rhines.       After    stripping   him,   they    tied    him   to    a   wagon    wheel, 
and    then   commenced   to   skin    him   alive.      The    poor    wretch    piteously 
begged    of    both    his    own     party    and    the     Indians    to    shoot    him   and 
thus     end     his     terrible     sufferings,    but    the    remainder    of    the     whites 
were    compelled    by    the    Indians    to    stand    by    and    witness   the    torture 
of   their     comrade    without    being   able    to    render    him     any    assistance 
except    at    tb,c    risk    of    their    own    lives.       The    skinning    process    was 


,0  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


finally     completed,    and     the    unfortunate     man     survived    the    operation 
but    a    few    moments,    during     which    he    was    cut    to    pieces   by   the 

BquaWS    with    their    mattocks. 

The  emigrants  were  then  allowed  to  move  on.  Since  that  day 
the  stream,  upon  the  hanks  of  which  this  barbarous  deed  occurred, 
has  been  called  the  Rawhide.  This  story  is  known  to  nearly  all 
the    old    settlers    of   Omaha    and    Nebraska    to    be    an    actual    fact. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


31 


CHAPTER  V. 


OMAHA'S     BIRTH 


PASSAGE       OF       THE        TERRITORIAL       ORGANIC       ACT THE        SURVEY      OF 

OMAHA FOURTH     OF     JULY      PICNIC,     1S54,      ON      CAPITOL     HILL THE 

SIGNIFICATION     OF     THE     NAMES     OF    OMAHA     AND     NEBRASKA. 

HE    bill     organizing    and     admitting    Nebraska    as     a    ter- 
ritory     soon     followed     the     extinguishment     of     the 
Indian    title,    it  being   passed    by    Congress    May  23d, 
1854,1,  after  a    fierce   and  angry  struggle,    the   circumstances 
of  which    have   not  yet  been  erased  from  the   public  mind 
as    this   fight    was    but   the    forerunner   of    the    efforts    soon 
afterwards    made    to    dissever   the    Union,    the    result   being 
the    great    civil    war. 

The  time  had  now  come,  after  the  passage  of  the  territorial  or- 
ganic act,  for  the  Ferry  Company  to  lay  out  their  contemplated 
town.  For  this  purpose  they  employed  A.  D.  Jones  to  make  the 
survey  of  the  site,  covering  the  claims  of  the  company.  Mr.  Jones 
surveyed  it  from  North  Omaha  Creek  to  South  Omaha  Creek 
as  these  small  streams  are  now  called.  The  Omahas  had  lived  along 
the  former,  originally  named  simply  Omaha  Creek,  and  the  Otoes 
along  the  latter,  which  was  formerly  called  Otoe  Creek.  The  work 
of  surveying  occupied  the  greater  portion  of  June,  and  the  first  part 
Of  July.  Mr.  C.  II.  Downs  assisted  in  the  work  by  carrying  the 
chain  and  driving  the  stakes.  The  city  was  laid  out  in  321  blocks. 
each    being    204    feet    square  ;      the     streets    too    feet    wide,    except    Cap- 


HISTORY    OF    OMAN  A. 


itol  Avenue,  which  was  made  [20  feet  wide,  but  which  was  given 
no  allej  in  the  blocks  on  each  side  of  it.  The  lots  were  staked  out 
<.<>  by  i  ^-'  feet,  with  the  exception  of  business  lots  which  were  made 
onl\  jj  feel  wide.  Two  squares  were  reserved — Jefferson  Square,  J04 
1>\  280  feet,  and  Capitol  Square,  on  Capitol  Hill,  600  feet  square. 
A  park  of  seven  blocks,  hounded  by  Eighth  and  Ninth,  and  Jackson 
and  Davenport  streets,  was  laid  out,  hut  was  afterwards  given  up 
to  business  purposes,  being  now  occupied  by  the  Union  Pacific 
Headquarters,  Wyoming  Hotel,  the  Cozzens  House,  and  other 
buildings. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  survey,  the  4th  of  July,  1S54,  was 
celebrated  by  a  picnic  on  Capitol  Hill  by  a  quite  a  party  of  excur- 
sionists  from  Council  Bluffs,  among  whom  were  several  persons  who 
soon  afterwards  located  in  Omaha — Hadley  D.  Johnson,  A.  D.  Jones 
and  wife,  A.  J.  llanscom  and  wife,  William  D.  Brown  and  wife,  Har- 
rison Johnson,  Mr.  Seelv  and  wife,  Thomas  Davis  and  wife  and  chil- 
dren, Fred.  Davis  and  his  sister,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Herman  Kountze, 
and  several  others.  Addresses  were  made  by  Hadley  D.  Johnson,  A.  D. 
Jones  and  one  or  two  others.  It  has  been  handed  down  to  posterity 
that  a  general  good  time,  as  the  phrase  goes,  was  had  by  everybody, 
and    the   event    still    lingers    in    the    memory    of  those    who  participated. 

The  map  of  the  survey  was  lithographed  in  St.  Louis,  and  one 
of  the  original  copies  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Byron  Reed.  In 
one  corner  i>  the  following  note:  "Lots  will  be  given  away  to  per- 
sons who  will  improve  them — private  sale  will  be  made  on  the 
premises.  A  newspaper,  the  Omaha  Arrow,  is  published  weekly  at 
Tlii—  place  :  a  brick  building,  suitable  for  the  Territorial  Legislature, 
i-  in  process  of  construction,  and  a  steam  mill  and  brick  hotel  will 
be  completed    in    a    few   weeks."     Dated,    September    1st,  18^4. 

Omaha    was   the    name    given    to    the   new    town  ! 

Gen.    E6tabrook    is  our    authority     for    saying   that    it   was    probablv 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


adopted  by  the  Ferry  Company  simply  because  it  was  pretty  and 
was  borne  by  the  nearest  tribe  of  Indians  in  the  vicinity,  the  Mahas. 
It  is  said  by  some  that  the  honor  of  suggesting  the  adoption  of  the 
name  belongs  to  Jesse  Lowe,  now  dead,  while  others  claim  that  to 
J.  E.  Johnson,  then  of  Kanesville,  is  due  the  credit  of  naming  the  town. 
Aside  from  its  prettiness  it  has  a  meaning  full  of  significance — 
'' Above  all  others    upon    a  stream!" 

Mr.  A.  D.  Jones,  when  secretary  of  the  Omaha  Old  Settlers' 
Association,  now  extinct,  wrote  in  1S6S  to  the  Rev.  William  Ham- 
ilton, who  was  the  first  missionary  in  Nebraska,  inquiring  as  to  the 
origin  and  meaning  of  the  word  Omaha.  Mr.  Hamilton  says  in  his 
reply,  dated  Omaha  Mission,  March  4,  1S6S  :  "The  Omahas  en- 
camped above  on  the  stream,  E-ro-ma-ha,  contracted  into  O-ma-ha, 
which  means  'above'  with  reference  to  a  stream,  or.  "above  on  a 
stream.'  To  understand  the  word,  I  must  add  that  they  have  three 
words  translated  'above.'  Mangre,  with  reference  to  height,  air;  A- 
mer-e-ta,  with  reference  to  a  country  bordering  on  or  near  a  stream  : 
E-ro-ma-ha,    with   reference    to    where   your   position    is." 

Hence  the  natural  inference  is  that  Omaha  is  "E-ro-ma-ha — 
above   all    others    upon    a   stream." 

••And  so  we  were,"  said  Gen.  Estabrook,  in  his  Centennial  his- 
torical address  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1S76.  -and  so  we  have  been 
from  that  day  to  this,  and  so  we  are  now,  above  all  other  towns  in 
importance,  on  the  stream,  and  so,  aided  by  the  same  good  genius, 
we   shall   ever  remain." 

In  this  connection  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  give  the  mean- 
ing of  the  name  Nebraska.  The  Platte  river  was  also  called  Nebraska, 
which  i->  an  Indian  word  signifying  Ne,  water,  and  braska.  wide  or 
shallow.  So  we  have  " shallow- water "  as  the  meaning,  which  is  very 
appropriate  as  applied  to  the  river  referred  to.  and  from  which  the 
Territory    took   its    name. 


vt 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


FIRST     INC  1 1 )K NTS. 


I  Hj;      FIRST      BRICK-YARD — COMMENCEMENT      OF     THE      STATE      HOUSE 

HIM       VCTUAL    SETTLERS— FIRST    BUILDING,    THE    "CLAIM    HOUSE  " 

FIRST      PREACHER      AND      FIRST      RELIGIOUS      SERVICES — FIRST     SAW- 
MILL— FIRST     HALF-DOZEN       HOUSES — FIRST      DANCE — FIRST      WHITE 

CHILD  —  FIRST      MARRIAGE FIRST      GRAVE FIRST      WHITE      BURIAL 

FIRST      CASE       OF       DELIRIUM       TREMENS — FIRST       PHYSICIAN — FIRST 
LAWYERS — FIRST     STEAM      FERRY    BOAT — FIRST      DRY     GOODS     STORE. 

,AVING  laid  out  the  town  site  of  Omaha,  the  Ferry 
Company's  next  move  was  'to  give  it  the  other  im- 
portant features  of  a  town,  namely,  people  and  build- 
ings. They  induced  Benjamin  Winchester,  of  Kanes- 
ville  or  Council  Bluffs,  to  start  a  brick-yard — which 
was  the  first  on  this  side  of  the  river — for  the  pur- 
pose of  supplying  the  brick  for  the  already  contem- 
plated building  of  the  State  House,  for  the  Ferry  Company  felt  pretty 
confident,  even  then,  of  having  their  embryo  city  designated  by  the 
first  territorial  legislature,  as  the  capital  of  Nebraska,  and  they  did 
not  go   amiss,  as    after  events  proved. 

Winchester,  being  overcome  by  misfortunes,  was  not  able  to  carry 
on  his  contract,  and  soon  sold  his  yard  to  the  Ferry  Company, 
who  were  afterwards  obliged  to  obtain  the  necessary  brick  for  the 
State  House  from  Kanesville,  from  which  place  they  were  hauled  by 
Harrison  Johnson,  who  is  now  a  prominent  citizen  and  an  honest 
granger    in    this    county. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  35 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  nth  of  July.  1S54,  that  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newell  came  over  from  Kanesville.  Mr.  Newell  had  been 
engaged  to  work  in  the  brick-yard,  and  his  wife  to  cook  for  the 
laborers.  William  P.  Snowden  and  wife  followed  them  over  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day.  Both  parties  crossed  the  Missouri  river 
on  William  D.  Brown's  flat-boat  ferry,  a  fact  that  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Snowden  distinctly  remember,  as  the  steam  ferry  boat  had  not 
then    begun   running. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell  remained  only  three  weeks,  which  left  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snowden  the  honor  of  being  the  first  •  actual  settlers  in 
Omaha,  a  fact  that  no  one  can  deny.  They  had  come  to  stay,  and 
stay  they  did,  even  unto  this  day,  being  both  honored  and  respected 
citizens    and    the   parents    of  a    large   family    of  children. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  by  the  reader,  that  previous  to  the  arri- 
val of  the  above  mentioned  persons,  there  had  been  no  one  living 
here  at  all,   although    there    were    many  who   had  claims   staked  out. 

Cam.  Reeves  and  family  came  next,  then  P.  G.  Peterson,  and 
then  others  followed  rapidly.  Many  of  our  old  settlers,  however 
did  not  locate  permanently  at  Omaha  till  late  in  the  fall  of  1S55, 
and  man}'  did  not  come  till  1S56  and  1857.  Although  they  had 
been  on  the  ground  before,  more  or  less  frequently,  they  had  lived 
at  Kanesville  in  the  meantime.  Some,  who  arc  nevertheless  consid- 
ered   old    settlers,    did    not   come    till  after   the    above   dates. 

The  Ferry  Company  built  the  first  house  in  Omaha.  It  was  a 
rude  log  structure,  and  was  occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snowden. 
who  kept  it  as  a  sort  of  hotel  or  boarding  house  during  that  sum- 
mer and  fall,  more  especial h  for  the  employes  of  the  company.  It 
was  located  on  Twelfth  and  Jackson  streets,  and  was  called  by  the 
high  sounding  name  of  the  St.  Nicholas,  but  was  better  known  as 
the  '•Claim  House."  Besides  being  the  first  house,  this  was  the  first 
hotel    in    Omaha. 


HISTORr    OF    OMAHA. 

The  firsl  religious  services  in  Omaha  were  held  at  the  St.  Nicholas 
hotel,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Snowden,  at  whose  solicitation  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Cooper  came  over  from  Council  Bluffs  to  preach.  He  was  a 
Methodist  preacher,  and  hence  that  church  can  justly  claim  the  honoi 
of  being  the  firsl  religious  organization  represented  on  the  ground. 
The  firsl  services  were  held  Sunday,  August  13th,  1S54.  There  was  a 
small  luii  appreciative  congregation,  there  being  not  over  twenty-five 
persons  in  attendance,  and  they  mosth  resided  at  Council  Bluffs, 
intending,  however,  to  remove  to  Omaha  in  a  short  time.  Among 
those  present  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snowden,  A.  D.  Jones,  who  led  the 
singing,  Mr.  Leonard  and  wife,  and  "Aleck"  Davis  and  daughter,  the 
latter  two  gentlemen  being  brothers-in-law  of  Samuel  Bayliss,  of 
Council  Bluffs. 

Rev.  Mr.  Cooper  labored  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  on  Sun- 
days, and  worked  in  Mr.  Jones'  stone  quarry,  now  owned  by  John 
Green,  on  week  davs,  having  obtained  permission  to  open  it,  and  the 
stone  was  used  in  the  foundation  of  the  Western  Exchange  building, 
now  occupied    by    Caldwell,  Hamilton  &  Co.'s  bank. 

Mr.  Davis,  in  company  with  Mr.  Bayliss,  built  and  owned  the 
first  saw-mill,  which  was  located  in  the  vicinity  of  where  John 
Green's  flour  mill  now  stands.  Mr  Thomas  Davis,  the  father  of  Fred. 
Davis  of  this    city,  afterwards    became   the   owner   of  this  mill. 

The  second  house  in  Omaha  was  built  by  Mr.  Gaylord,  at  Burt 
and  Twenty-second  streets;  the  third  was  the  "Big  6,"  a  sod-house 
or  ••dug-out,"  which  was  occupied  as  a  giocery  and  saloon  by  Lewis 
and  Clancy,  north  side  of  Chicago,  between  Thirteenth  and  Four- 
teenth  streels. 

The  fourth  hou.-e  was  the  log  dwelling  erected  by  Mr.   Snowden,  on 

the   west  side    of  Tenth    street,  just   south  of  Thiele's   garden,  the  brick 

of  Mr.  Crowell  now    covering  the   spot.     The    lot    was   given    to 

Mr.    Snowden    by    the    Ferry     Company     on     condition    that    he    would 


II  IS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


build  on  it.  It  was  the  first  private  dwelling  house  that  was  com- 
pleted, and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snowden  moved  into  it  after  having  kept 
the  St.  Nicholas  for  three  months.  The  pioneers  had  a  grand  house- 
warming  there,  tripping  the  light  fantastic  toe  with  more  grace  and 
agility  than  thev  do  now.  and  some  of  them  have  not  yet  forgot- 
ten their  fancy  steps  or  how  to  cut  the  "  pigeon's  wing."  The 
first  dance  was  at  the  house-warming  held  in  this  house,  under  the 
auspices    of  Mr.    and    Mrs.    Snowden. 

Quilts  and  aprons  answered  the  purposes  of  doors  and  windows, 
and  for  seats  they  had  rough  hoards.  It  was  a  very  primitive  affair. 
Quite  a  goodlv  number  of  persons  assembled  to  join  in  the  festive 
dance. 

Among  those  in  attendance  besides  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snowden,  were 
A.  D.  Jones,  Ed.  Burdell,  who  afterwards  built  the  "City  Hotel," 
at  the  south-west  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Harney  streets,  Alex.  Davis 
and  daughters,  and  Mr.  Leonard  and  wife.  Mr.  Leonard,  who  was 
an  amateur  fiddler,  furnished  the  music  for  the  occasion  and  did  the 
"calling  off."  The  ball  opened  with  the  "French  Four,"  a  popular 
figure  in  those  days,  and  it  was  led  by  Mr.  Snowden  and  Mr. 
Jones,  and  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell,  there  being  no  sleep 
till    morn. 

Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Snowden  lived  in  this  house  for  two  years,  and 
the  building  was  standing  up  to  1S70.  The  Ferry  Company  had 
offered  a  lot  to  the  first  lady  who  settled  in  their  new  town,  and 
Mrs.  Snowden  in  due  time  secured  the  prize,  and  afterwards  disposed 
of  it. 

The  next  house  put  up  was  built  by  P.  G.  Peterson,  on  the 
-idc  of  Tenth  street,  between  Farnham  and  Harney.  It  stands 
there    yet,    ami    is     occupied    as    a    laundry    by    some    colored    people. 

The  sixth  house  was  ere.  led  by  Samuel  E.  and  William  Rogers, 
south   Bide  of   Douglas,   between  Tenth    ami    Eleventh  streets. 


238579 


j8  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

The  old  Stale  House  on  Ninth,  between  Farnham  and  Douglas, 
was  the  firsl  brick  structure.  Other  buildings  followed,  and  many 
of  the  old  landmarks  remain,  to  which  we  shall  refer  in  another 
chapter. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  Omaha  was  Miss  Margaret  Ferry, 
who  came  into  the  world  in  the  month  of  October,  1S54.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  James  Ferry,  who  laid  the  first  stone  for  the  foun- 
dation   of  the    old    State    House. 

It  is  claimed  by  some,  however,  that  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  white  child  born  in  Omaha  belongs  to  William  Nebraska  Reeves. 
He  was  born  in  that  portion  of  the  city  known  as  Park  Wild — 
Herman  Kountze's  place — and  which  spot  is  still  indicated  by  Park 
Wild  avenue.  Reeves  is  now  a  young  man  and  lives  with  his  mother 
out    on   the  Elkhorn. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  John  Logan  to  Miss  Caroline 
Mosier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Logan  still  reside  in  Omaha,  at  present  at 
the    northeast    corner    of  Fourteenth    street    and    Capitol   avenue. 

The  first  grave  in  Omaha  was  dug  by  William  P.  Snowden, 
where  Turner  Hall  now-  stands,  for  the  remains  of  an  old  Otoe 
squaw,  who  had  been  abandoned  to  die  by  the  roadside.  How  ap- 
propriate  are    the   words    of  Whittier : 

"  Behind  the  scared  squaw's  birch  canoe 
The  steamer  smokes  and  raves  ; 
And  city  lots  are  staked  for  sale 
Above  old  Indian  graves." 

The  first  burial  among  the  whites  was  that  of  Mr.  M.  C  Gay- 
[ord's  child,  at  a  spot  on  Capitol  Hill  some  little  distance  north-west 
of  where    the    High    School    building  now   stands. 

The  first  case  of  delirium  tremens  was  that  ot  Mr.  Todd,  who  erect- 
ed in  the  vicinitv  of  the  St.  Nicholas  the  first  frame  house  or  rather 
shanty,  and  stocked  it  with  groceries,  "  dry  and  wet,"  principally  the 
latter,  whisky    being   his  chief  article   of  trade.      Todd   used    to    say,   in 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  39 

a    rather    pompous  style,    that    he   "went    East"    for    his  goods — and   so 

he  did,    for   he   purchased    them    in    Council    Bluffs.       He    was   his    own 

best  customer,    and    he  drank    so    much    of    his    own   whisky,    that   his 

nose  soon  became  as  red  as  the  red  flag  that  he    hung  out  for    a    sign. 

He  drank  early  and  often   and  late.      The  "ardent"   soon  got  the  better 

of  him,    and  gave  him  the  "shakes"  so  fearfully    that    it    shook  the  life 

out   of   him    so  that   one   day  he    had    to    lie    down    and    die.       He  was 

buried    near   where    the   Union    Pacific    track   crosses  Thirteenth    street. 

To    him    belongs    the    honor    of    being     the   first    drunkard    in    Omaha, 

as   well  as    the  first   man  who  died     here — and   his    memory   is  entitled 

to   some    respect    as    he    exhibited    some     decency    in    ceasing   to   exist 

under  the    circumstances.      The   following   obituary  poetry    was   written 

by    George    W.    Childs,    of    the    Philadelphia     Ledger,    at    our    special 

request    in    a    letter    to    him    stating    the     circumstances,    and    that    we 

wanted     something    in    his    best    style    to    honor    the    memory    of    Mr. 

Todd    in    this    history : 

"Poor  old  Mr.  Todd,— he 
Loved  too  well  his  "  toddy ;" 
'Twas   the  intoxicating  cup 
That  made  him  turn  his  toes  up  ; 
'Tis  sad  to  think 
He  died  of  drink 
And  was  buried  'neath  the  sod, 
Gone  to  meet  his  God." 

Dr.  George  L.  Miller  was  the  first  physician.  He  came  here  in 
the  fall  of  1854,  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  accompanied  by  his  father, 
Col.  Lorin  Miller.  Dr.  Miller's  first  patient  was  an  Omaha  Indian 
pappoose,   and    it    is   said    that  the    child    died. 

The  Doctor  upon  being  summoned  to  attend  the  case,  answered 
the  call  with  alacrity,  being  guided  to  the  camp  on  the  bottoms  by 
the  redskin  who  had  been  sent  for  that  purpose.  The  Doctor  gives 
his  reminiscence  of  the  affair  as  follows  :  "  Exactlv  how  the  afore- 
said  brave  jumped   from  the  path  and    disappeared    in   the  grass    without 


.,.,  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

.1  won!  of  explanation,  not  even  so  much  as  a  grunt;  how  moments 
seemed  hours  that  we  stood,  speechless  and  motionless,  'each  partic- 
ular hair'  sadly  agitated  at  the  roots,  waiting  for  his  return,  or  for 
death,  or  for  whatever  else  might  come  ;  how  he  did  return,  and 
with  the  wave  of  the  hand  beckoned  us  to  follow  on  among  the 
wigwams,  and  how  we  followed  accordingly,  not  daring  to  run,  until 
we  reached  the  right  one  ;  how  Mr.  Indian  shot  through  the  tri- 
angular door,  like  the  arrow  from  the  bow — and  how  diligently  the 
medicine-man  struggled  to  get  through  the  little  opening,  by  main 
strength  ami  awkwardness,  and  finally  did  it  ;  precisely  how  powerful 
was  the  sense  of  relief  from  ugly,  creeping  sensations  around  the 
head  and  throat,  when  a  unanimous  grunt  from  two  squaws  and 
the  three  Indians  gave  him  welcome,  with  smiles,  to  a  cushion  on 
the  ground,  as  a  seat  of  state  ;  how  the  inevitable  pipe  and  kinni- 
kinick  was  passed  from  the  mouths  of  the  aforesaid  Indians  (who 
had  just  dined  on  dog- soup,)  to  our  own  ;  and  how  sweet  was  the 
taste  of  friendship  through  its  fumes,  we  cannot  stop  to  particularize. 
It  was  the  case  of  a  young  physician,  just  out  of  city  life,  practicing 
among   the   Indians  for  the    first   time.'' 

A.  J,.  Poppleton  and  ().  D.  Richardson  were  the  first  practicing 
lawyers,  and  they  both  took  an  active  part  in  making  the  first  laws 
of  the  Territory,  as  they  were  members  of  the  first  legislature,  in 
which  they  did  good  work  for  Omaha.  Gov.  Richardson  arrived 
here  in  October,  1854.  and  was  soon  followed  by  Mr.  Poppleton, 
both  coming  from  about  the  same  vicinity  in  Michigan.  They 
roomed  together  during  the  first  winter  in  Omaha,  and  therefore 
have  been  called  the  first  law  firm.  A.  D.  Jones,  who  was  a  little 
of  everything  in  those  days,  was  also  a  lawyer,  and  was  here' before 
either  of  the  above  gentlemen,  but  as  we  understand  the  matter,  he 
was    a    lawyer    more    in    name    than    in    practice. 

The    firsl     steam     ferry    boat    put    in     operation    here    by     the    Ferry 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  41 


Company  was  the  "Gen.  Marion,"  which  they  had  purchased  at  Alton, 
Illinois,  and  which  superseded  Brown's  flat-boat  ferry.  It  was  not 
until  late  in  the  fail  of  1S54,  that  it  began  running.  It  was  "of 
ample  power  and  dimensions  to  clear  the  track  from  day  to  day " 
as   we   learn    from   an  old  newspaper   advertisement. 

The  first  dry  goods  store  in  Omaha  was  that  of  Tootle  &  Jackson  ; 
among  the  other  general  stores  that  followed  were  those  of  James 
Megeath    and   John    R.    Porter. 


4- 


II IS  TOR r    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE     ARROW. 


THE  FIRST  OMAHA  NEWSPAPER — THE  PROCESS  OF  MAKING  A  WEST- 
ERN TOWN — THE  FIRST  EDITOR — HIS  ROMANTIC  MARRIAGE — HIS 
SANCTUM — ILLUSTRATION — HIS  DREAMY  PREDICTION:  "A  NIGHT 
IN     OUR    SANCTUM."    &C,     &C. 

jMONG  the  institutions  that  aided  greatly  to  give 
Cmaha  a  more  than  local  notoriety  in  her  infancy, 
was  the  Omaha  Arrozv,  the  first  newspaper  published 
here,  the  first  number  of  which  is  dated  July  28,  1854, 
soon  after  the  survey  had  been  completed.  It  was  a 
four  page,  six  column  sheet,  the  columns  being  rather 
r^\\tS^  wide,  and  we  are  informed  in  a  line  immediately 
under  the  head,  that  it  was  "  a  family  newspaper,  devoted  to  the 
arts,  sciences,  general  literature,  agriculture,  and  politics  ;"  its  politics 
being  Democratic.  It  took  in  a  wide  field  certainly,  and  if  these 
general  features  are  any  criterion  the  Arrow  was  a  paper  that  cir- 
culated among  people  of  social  refinement  and  literary  culture  even 
at   that   early   day. 

The  Arrow  was  printed  at  Council  Bluff's  at  the  office  of  the 
Bugle,  probably  with  the  same  type,  and  hence  we  find  a  large 
number  of  Council  Bluff's  items  and  advertisements  in  it.  It  was 
distributed  to  the  few  persons  in  Omaha  on  the  day  of  its  publica- 
tion, and  sent  abroad  as  an  advertisement  of  the  place.  We  notice  that 
it    is   dated    "  Omaha    City"  which    reminds    us,_in    this    connection,   of 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA.  43 

a*  paragraph  in  Hon.  J.  M.  Woolworth's  volume,  "Nebraska  in  1S57." 
He  says  :  "The  process  of  making  a  town,  and  forming  a  company 
is  very  simple.  Three,  four,  or  half-a-dozen  men  form  a  company, 
claim  a  tract  of  vacant  land,  whenever  they  can  find  it,  give  the  spot 
some  name  with  ' city''  attached  to  it,  as  a  tail,  fill  up  one,  two,  three 
hundred,  or  any  number  of  certificates  of  stock,  and  then  enter  upon 
their  traffic  in  them.  This  forms  a  fancy  stock  which  is  worthy  of 
Wall  Street  itself.  Not  that  there  are  not  towns  gotten  up  in  this 
way,  which  will  have  merit.  How  true  is  this  of  Omaha  City,  and 
Bellevue  and  Nebraska  City  and  many  other  towns,  where  lots  are 
of  great  value,  and  of  towns  like  Omaha,  whose  stock  is  yet  in 
market.  We  speak  of  these  towns,  called  '  kiting '  towns,  and  which 
out  here,  where  land  is  abundant,  answer  the  same  purpose  as  the 
coal    companies   of  New   York." 

So  it  is  with  nearly  all  new  western  towns.  In  their  infancy 
they  fly  "  their  kite,"  to  which  is  attached  the  word  "  city "  as  a  tail  ; 
but  when  they  grow  to  some  size  and  importance,  when  they  can 
speak  for  themselves,  they  cut  off  the  tail.  Omaha  retained  her  tail 
even   up    to    1S57,   and    probably    a   year   or   two   later. 

But  let  us  return  from  our  little  digression  to  the  subject  in  hand, 
the  Arrow.  J.  E.  Jobnson  and  J.  W,  Pattison  were  the  editors  and 
proprietors.  Johnson  was  the  business  man  of  the  concern.  He  was 
a  Mormon  and  had  three  or  four  wives.  He  lived  in  Council  Bluffs 
and  was  engaged  in  several  kinds  of  business  at  the  same  time. 
He  practiced  law,  ran  a  blacksmith  shop,  was  an  insurance  agent, 
and  carried  on  a  general  merchandizing  business,  by  all  of  which  he 
was  enabled  to  support  his  three  or  four  wives  and  their  poor  re- 
lations. He  was  a  lively  man  on  general  principles.  He  left  this 
part  of  the  country  in  1856,  and  went  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  now 
resides. 

Pattison    remained    in    Omaha    for    some    two   or    three   years,   and 


44  1IISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

then  disappeared  from  the  scene.  lie  was  married  to  a  Miss  Hen- 
rietta Redner,  and  the  marriage  took  place  during  a  heavy  rainstorm 
under  a  large  tree  on  the  Elkhorn,  the  Rev.  Silas  J.  Francis  tying 
the  knot.  Another  couple,  Frank  Fox  and  Harriet  Whittier,  were 
married  at  the  same  time  and  place.  This  programme  was  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  '  leas  of  the  romantic  Pattison,  but  the  double 
wedding  was  not  quite  so  romantic  an  affair  as  it  might  have  been 
had  it  been  all  sunshine  instead  of  clouds  and  soaking  rain.  The 
last  heard  of  Pattison  was  that  he  was  editing  a  paper  somewhere 
in    Missouri. 

There  were  only  twelve  numbers  of  the  Arrow  published,  covering 
the  period  from  July  28th  to  November  10th,  1S54,  which  shows 
that  it  occasionally  skipped  a  week,  probably  when  the  supply  ot 
paper  ran  out,  which  is  not  an  unusual  occurrence  in  a  pioneer 
printing  office.  Mr.  Byron  Reed  has  in  his  possession  the  whole 
series,  with  the  exception  of  No.  6.  He  purchased  them  of  a 
gentleman  now  residing  in  Salt  Lake,  formerly  living  in  Omaha, 
paying  the  high  price  of  $30  for  them.  He  has  had  them  bound  into 
a  volume,  and  prizes  them  very  highly  as  being  among  his  most  rare 
and  valuable  historical  records.  He  has  allowed  us  free  access  to  them, 
and  we  have  thus  been  enabled  to  obtain  a  great  deal  of  interesting 
history. 

The  first  number  of  the  Arrozv  contains  on  the  first  page  a 
portion  of  the  Kansas- Nebraska  bill,  which  is  concluded  in  the  second- 
issue.  Turning  to  the  editorial  page  we  find  the  motto,  "The  people 
— the   sovereigns   of  the  soil,"   at   the   head   of   the  column. 

Pattison,  who  was  the  real  editor  of  the  Arrow,  was  a  lawyer 
and  general  business  agent.  His  card  in  the  Arrow  informs  us  that 
he  was  located  at  Omaha,  but  the  fact  is  that  he  then  lived  at  Council 
Bluffs.  We  have  every  reason  to  suppose  that  his  practice  did  not 
in    the   least  interfere    with    his    editorial    duties,    to    perform    which    he 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


45 


evidently  had  ample  time.  He  was  a  vivid  and  entertaining  writer, 
as   some  of  his  articles    in    the    Arrozr   prove. 

Pattison     was     a    fanciful    writer,     as    will    be    seen    by    his    saluta- 
tory editorial,  as    follows  : 

•■  Well,  strangers,  friends,  patrons,  and  the  good  people  generally, 
wherever  in  the  wide  world  your  lot  may  be  cast,  and  in  whatever 
clime  this  Arrow  mav  reach  you,  here  we  are  upon  Nebraska  soil 
seated  upon  the  stump  of 
an  ancient  oak,  which  serves 
for  an  editorial  chair,  and 
the  top  of  our  badly  abused 
beaver  for  a  table,  we  pur- 
pose editing  a  leader  for  the 
Omaha    Arrow. 

"  An  elevated  table  land 
surrounds  us  ;  the  majestic 
Missouri  just  off  on  our  left 
goes  sweeping  its  muddy 
course  adown  towards  the 
Mexican  Gulf,  whilst  the  2^ 
background  of  the  pleasing  fjj 
picture     is    filled     up      with    I 

Iowa's         loveliest,       richest  first  om aha   editor   and  his 

scenery.       Away    upon    our  SANCTUM, 

left,  spreading  far  away  in  the  distance  lies  one  of  the  loveliest  sections 
of  Nebraska.  Yon  rich,  rolling,  wide-spread  and  beautiful  prairie 
dotted  with  timber  looks  lovely  enough  just  now  as  heaven's  free 
sun-light  touches  off  in  beauty  the  lights  and  shades  to  be  literally 
entitled  the  Eden  land  of  the  world,  and  inspire  us  with  tlights 
of  fancy  upon  this  antiquated  beaver,  but  it  won't  pay.  There  sticks 
our    axe    in    the    trunk   of  an    old    oak,  whose    brandies   have   for  years 


.,(,  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

been  fanned  by  the  breezes  thai  constantly  sweep  from  over  the 
oft-times  flower-dotted  prairie  lea,  and  from  which  we  purpose  making 
a    log   for   our   cabin    claim." 

Pattison's  editorial,  "  A  Night  in  our  Sanctum,"  is  a  well  written 
article,  and  is  well  worth  reproducing,  in  order  to  show  by  way  of 
comparison  how  truly  the  predictions  concerning  Omaha  in  his 
"dream"    have   been    fulfilled.     The  article    is    as    follows: 

"A  Night  in  our  Sanctum. — Last  night  we  slept  in  our  sanc- 
tum— the  starry  decked  heaven  for  a  ceiling,  and  Mother  Earth  for 
a  flooring.  It  was  a  glorious  night  and  we  were  tired  from  the 
day's  exertions.  Far  away  on  different  portions  of  the  prairie  glim- 
mered the  camp  fires  of  our  neighbors,  the  Pawnees,  Omahas  or  that 
noble  and  too  often  unappreciated  class  of  our  own  people  known 
as  pioneers  or  squatters.  We  gathered  around  our  little  camp  fire, 
talked  of  times  of  the  past,  of  the  pleasing  present,  and  of  the  glo- 
rious future  which  the  march  of  civilization  would  open  in  the  land 
whereon  wc  sat.  The  new  moon  was  just  sinking  behind  the  dis- 
tant prairie  roll,  but  slightly  dispelling  the  darkness  which  crept 
over  our  loved  and  cherished  Nebraska  land.  We  thought  of  dis- 
tant friends  and  loved  ones  who  stretched  upon  beds  of  downy 
ease  little  appreciated  the  unalloyed  pleasure,  the  heaven-blessed 
comfort,  that  dwelt  with  us  in  this  far-off  land.  No  busy  hum  of 
the  bustling  world  served  to  distract  our  thoughts.  Behind  us  was 
spread  our  buffalo  robe  in  an  old  Indian  trail  which  was  to  serve 
as  our  bed  and  bedding.  The  cool  night  wind  swept  in  cooling 
breezes  around  us,  deep  laden  with  the  perfume  of  a  thousand-hued 
and  varied  flowers.  Far  away  upon  our  lea  came  the  occasional  howl 
of  the  prairie  wolves.  Talk  of  comfort ;  there  was  more  of  it  in  one 
hour  of  our  sanctum  camp  life  and  of  camp  life  generally  upon 
Nebraska  soil,  than  in  a  whole  life  of  fashionable,  pampered  world 
in   the    settlements,    and   individually    we     would     not    have    exchanged 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  47 

our    sanctum     for    any    of    those  of   our    brethren    of   the    press    who 
boast  of  its   neatness    and  beauty  of  artful    adornment. 

"The  night  stole  on  and  we  in  the  most  comfortable  manner  in 
the  world — and  editors  have  a  faculty  of  making  themselves  com- 
fortable together — crept  between  art  and  nature — our  blanket  and 
buffalo,  to  sleep  and  perchance  to  dream,  '  of  battles,  sieges,  fortunes 
and  perils,  the  imminent  breech.'  To  dreamland  we  went.  The  busy 
hum  of  business  from  factories  and  the  varied  branches  of  mechan- 
ism from  Omaha  city  reached  our  ears.  The  incessant  rattle  of  in- 
numerable drays  over  the  paved  streets,  the  steady  tramp  of  ten 
thousand  of  an  animated,  enterprising  population,  the  hoarse  orders 
fast  issued  from  the  crowd  of  steamers  upon  the  levee  loading  with 
the  rich  products  of  the  State  of  Nebraska  and  unloading  the  fruits, 
species  and  products  of  other  climes  and  soils  greeted  our  ears. 
Far  away  from  toward  the  setting  sun  came  telegraphic  dispatches 
of  improvements,  progress  and  moral  advancement  upon  the  Pacific 
coast.  Cars  full  freighted  with  teas,  silks,  &c,  were  arriving  from 
thence  and  passing  across  the  stationary  channel  of  the  Missouri 
river  with  lightning  speed  hurrying  on  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 
The  third  express  train  on  the  Council  Bluffs  and  Galveston  R.  R. 
came  thumdering  close  by  us  with  a  shrill  whistle  that  brought  us 
to  our  feet  knife  in  hand.  We  rubbed  our  eyes,  looked  into  the 
darkness  beyond  to  see  the  flying  train.  They  had  vanished  and 
the  shrill  second  neigh  of  our  lariated  horses  gave  indication  of  the 
danger  near.  The  hum  of  business,  in  and  around  the  city,  had  also 
vanished  and  the  same  rude  camp  fires  were  before  us.  We  slept 
again  and  daylight  stole  upon  us  refreshed  and  ready  for  another 
day's    labor." 

Pattison's  dreamy  predictions  have  been  more  than  fulfilled  in  the 
building  and  completion  of  the  great  trans  -  continental  railroad,  the 
Union    and    Central    Pacific,    and    half    a    dozen   or    more    other     lines; 


,s  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

and   in    the     rapid    grovtfth    of   Omaha    to    an     important   and    beautiful 
city    and   commercial    metropolis   of  25,000   inhabitants. 


HIS TOR  T    OF    OMAHA.  49 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


OMAHA'S    PROGRESS— ITEMS    FROM    THE   ARROW. 


THE      NEWSPAPER      AS      A      HISTORIAN DEMANDS      OF      THE       INDIANS 

SULPHUR      SPRINGS THE     "BIG     6" COUNCIL     BLUFFS      AND    OMAHA 

STAGE POSTMASTER      JONES       AND      HIS      HAT ILLUSTRATION DIS- 
TINGUISHED      ARRIVALS,      GOV.      BURT      AND       SECRETARY     CUMING 

DEATH      OF     THE     FORMER ARRIVAL      OF      BIRD      B.      CHAPMAN     AND 

DR.     MILLER. 

/T   is    a   fact   that  the   best  historian  of  the   events   of  any 
particular    period    in    these    modern  days  is   the    newspaper 
—it   is    the   most  faithful  chronicler  of  daily  occurrences— 
and     therefore    no     apology    is     needed    for    our    frequent 
reference    to    the    Arrow  as    authority,    nor    for   the    repro- 
duction    of    interesting     items     from     its     local     columns, 
showing    the    progress  of  the    town    during  the    publication 
of  the   paper    in    the   summer   of   1S54. 
Among     other    interesting      items     which     are    found     in     the     first 
number   of   the    Arrow,  July  28,    1854,    is    the  following: 

"Delegate  to  Congress— It  is  expected  that  H.  D.  Johnson  and 
Major  Gatewood  will  be  the  two  opposing  candidates  for  delegates 
to    Congress." 

But  the  coming  man  proved  to  be  Bird  B.  Chapman,  who  came 
all   the    way    from   Ohio   to   be   elected   as   Nebraska's    first   delegate   to 

Congress. 

"The  Indians,"  says  the  Arrow,  "require  $10  from  each  settler  for 
the  right   to   build    and    make    improvements  upon   the  lands  for    which 


i^K 


So  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

tlu'\  have  not  vet  received  payment  nor  relinquished  their  rights. 
We  consider  this  a  just  demand,  and  for  ourselves  have  complied. 
The  amount  should  be  paid  only  to  Logan  Fontenelle  (the  chief), 
II.    D.    fohnson,   or   ourselves." 

The  survey  of  Omaha  City,  as  made  by  A.  D.  Jones,  is  noticed 
at  considerable  length  A.  D.  Jones  was  a  lawyer  as  well  as  a  sur- 
veyor, and  we  find  his  "shingle,"  in  the  shape  of  a  card,  hung  out 
among  the  advertisements  in  the  Arrow.  lie  was  not,  however, 
regularly  admitted  to  the  Nebraska  bar  until  there  was  a  bar  to  be 
admitted  to,  which  was  not  till  some  time  afterwards,  when  he  got 
his  certificate  on  motion  of  Gen.  Estabrook,  who  did  a  great  deal 
of  such  motioning  in  those  days.  However,  we  apprehend  that  Mr. 
Jones  was  never  called  to  account  for  practicing  without  a  certificate 
of  admission,  as  there  was  not  so  much  "  red  tape "  then  as  there  is 
now. 

In  the  second  number  of  the  Arro-v  we  find  the  editor  "again 
seated  upon  the  green  sward,  'neath  the  tent  of  his  friend  W.  Clancy, 
whose  hospitality  he  is  enjoying,  with  an  inverted  nail  keg  for  a 
table,  and  feeling  as  comfortable  as  if  seated  upon  a  soft  cushioned 
sofa,  with  all  the  comforts  of  a  fashionahle  life  surrounding  him." 
Pattison,    it   seems,  could   easily  accommodate  himself  to  circumstances. 

Rev.  Peter  Cooper  is  announced  to  preach  at  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Snowden  on  Sunday,  the  13th  inst.,  [July]  at  2  o'clock,  p.  m., 
to   which   the  citizens  of  Bluff  City    are    respectfully    invited    to  attend. 

James  A.  Jackson  advertises  for  "bids  to  be  received  until  the 
15th  of  August,  for  furnishing  175  perch  of  stone  for  foundation  to 
be  delivered  in  Omaha,  the  cjuarry  being  about  one  mile  from  the 
place   of  delivery." 

The  A/rozv  of  September  1st,  1854,  in  its  "leader"  on  Omaha 
City,  says  that  it  will  he  and  deserves  to  be  the  future  capital  of 
of   Nebraska,  as  a  Territory   and    State. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


Even  at  that  early  day  Sulphur  Springs  had  been  discovered,  and 
was  visited  by  the  "  old  settlers "  then  as  frequently  as  it  is  now  by 
the  citizens  of  Omaha,  and  its  water  was  imbibed  with  an  appreci- 
ble    relish,   as    we   should  infer    from    the    Arro'xvs  notice  of  it. 

A  fair  idea  of  the  activity  and  progress  of  Omaha,  at  this  par- 
ticular period,  may  be  obtained  from  the  following  extract  from  the 
Arrow  of  Sept.  Sth,  1854  :  "The  sound  of  axe,  hammer  and  other 
tools  are  daily  heard  in  and  around  this  eligible  city  site.  Two  stores 
both  doing  a  good  business,  are  in  successful  operation,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  one  of  the  best  steam  saw-mills  in  the  west  will  be  in 
full  blast  by  us  here.  In  connection  therewith,  the  enterprising 
company  purpose  starting  a  good  flouring  mill  ;  the  engine  ordered 
for  the  saw  mill  will  be  of  sufficient  power  for  both.  A  good  sub- 
stantial hotel  will  soon  be  ready  for  the  reception  of  visitors  and 
boarders.  The  work  on  the  other  prominent  buildings  is  progressing 
rapidly.  It  really  does  one's  heart  good  to  see  the  young  American 
progress   and    go-aheaditiveness    which    characterize    Omaha    City." 

The  §ame  paper  informs  us  that  "Mr.  J.  A.  Jackson  will  in  a 
few  days  be  in  reception  of  a  large  amount  of  good  lumber  for 
building  purposes;"  also,  "some  ten  or  twelve  buildings  are  going 
up  in  Omaha  City  next  week.  Hurrah  !  for  the  march  of  civ- 
ilization is  playing  wild  with  this  glorious  country.  But  we  need 
mechanics  prodigiously  to  push  along  with  railroad  speed,"  says  the 
sanguine  and  enthusiastic  editor,  who  in  another  place  goes  into  ec- 
stacies  over  Mr.  Winchester's  brick.  lie  had  seen  a  good  many 
brick  in  his  day,  but  none  better  than  those  manufactured  by  Win- 
chester. 

"Our  friend^,  the  Omahas,"  says  the  Arro-v,  "express  a  willing* 
to  be  removed  to  their  new  hunting  ground  and  we  sincerely 
trust  steps  will  be  immediately  taken  to  secure  the  much-desired 
object." 


5a  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

T.  [efferys  ..V  Co.  announce  that  their  "steam  saw -mill,  two  and 
a  half  miles  from  the  city,  on  the  bottom,  is  now  in  successful 
operation." 

William  Clancy,  in  a  card,  respectfully  informs  the  settlers  inp 
and  around  Omaha  City,  that  he  is  prepared  at  the  sign  of  the 
"Big  6,"  near  the  spring,  to  accommodate  them  with  any  article, 
provisions,  &C. — we  suppose  the  "  &c."  meant  liquid  refreshments — at 
as  reasonable  rates  as  may  be  secured  elsewhere,  and  as  a  special 
inducement  he  adds  that  "  a  good  fresh  drink  of  sulphur  water,  from 
his  celebrated  spring,  can  at  all  times  be  obtained  there."  We  sup- 
pose the  sulphur  water  was  bottled  and  brought  down  from  the 
spring,  as  the  "  Big  6 "  was  located  on  the  north  side  of  Chicago, 
between  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  streets,  and  was  a  popular  resort 
for  the  pioneers  of  Omaha  who  met  there  to  discuss  matters  of 
public  importance  and  interest,  to  hold  public  meetings,  and  to 
sample  Mr.  Clancy's  liquids,  especially  the  sulphur  water.  It  is  said 
that  the  sulphur  water  in  those  days  was  so  strong  that  it  had  to 
be  diluted  with  "  fire-water,"  as  the  Indians  called  it,  but  better 
known  among  the  whites  as  Bourbon,  or  rye,  or  plain  corn-juice. 
They  generally  drank  the  "fire-water"  first,  and  the  sulphur  water 
afterwards,  thus  allowing  the  process  of  dilution  to  take  place  after 
the  liquids  had  reached  the  receptacle  commonly  called  the  stomach. 
And  it  is  a  fact  that  a  few  of  the  citizens  of  Omaha  follow  this 
practice  even  unto  this  modern  day.  Such,  alas  !  is  the  force  of 
example. 

The  Arrotv  of  September  2 id  notices  the  arrival  of  "  W.  N. 
Byers,  formerly  of  Muscatine,  Iowa.  lie  is  an  old  stager  on  the 
Oregon  frontier  and  brings  with  him  one  of  the  best  solar  compasses 
for  field  surveying  in  the  West.  He  purposes  making  our  sod  his 
home." 

In    1856   or    1S57    we   find    Mr.    Byers    associated   with    Hon.    A.  J. 


11 IS TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


53 


Poppleton  as  a  lawyer,  the  firm  being  Poppleton  &  Bjers.  It  was 
in  1859,  during  the  Pike's  Peak  excitement,  that  Mr.  Byers  departed 
for  Colorado.  Mr.  Poppleton  still  resides  in  Omaha,  and  is  one  of 
the  ablest    lawyers  in  the    country. 

From  the  Arrozv  of  September  29th  we  learn  that  M.  W.  Rob- 
inson had  put  on  a  tri-weekly  line  of  stages  between  Council  Bluffs 
and  Omaha;  and  we  are  informed  "that  persons  may  receive  the 
Omaha  City  mail  matter  for  the  present  from  the  P.  M.,  A.  D. 
Jones,  at  Mr.  Clancy's  provision  establishment  every  Tuesday,  Thurs- 
day and  Sunday  evenings,  shortly  after  the  arrival  of  the  Council 
Bluffs   and    Omaha   City    stage." 


POSTMASTER   JONES    Willi    HIS    HAT    FOR    A    POST-OFFCE. 

Mr.  Jones,  our  first  postmaster,  be  it  remembered,  used  to  carry 
the  mail  in  his  hat,  and  was  a  sort  of  walking  post-office.  He 
was  liable  to   be    stopped    at    any    moment    by    some   person    inquiring 


54  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

for  a  letter,  and  then  off  would  come  his  capacious  stove-pipe,  and 
he    would,    examine    the    letters    contained    therein. 

Mr.  [ones  often  reverts  to  this  fact  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure, 
especially  when  he  compares  the  stove-pipe  post-office  of  1854  with 
the  magnificent  four-story  stone  edifice,  costing  ahout  $400,000,  that 
now  stands  at  the  s  uthwest  corner  of  Dodge  and  Fifteenth  streets, 
and    which    was  completed    about    two  years   ago.* 

"  The  new  and  excellent  steam  saw-mill  of  Mr.  Samuel  S.  Bayliss 
&  Co.,  will  be  in  operation  in  a  very  short  time  near  the  city 
site,"  says  the  Arrozv  of  this  date;  also,  that  "the  foundation  of  the 
new  State  House  will  be  completed  in  a  few  days  ;"  and  that  the 
11  new  brick  hotel  will  also  be  finished  as  fast  as  brick  can  be  put 
together. — Other  buildings  are  progressing  finely. — Some  two  or  three 
fine   brick   house"    will   ere   long  be   started   upon   the  site." 

The  Arrow  of  October  6th  contains  a  full  report  of  the  citizens' 
meeting  at  the  "  Big  6,"  September  20th,  to  prepare  a  reception  for 
Gov.  Burt,  and  just  beneath  this  report,  it  has  the  following  personal 
item  : 

"Distinguished  Arrival. — We  stop  the  press  to  announce  the 
arrival  of  the  Hon.  Secretary.  Mr.  T.  B.  Cuming  arrived  to-dav. 
His    Excellency,  Gov.   Burt,    is   also    expected   to    arrive   to-day." 

The  next  number,  October  13,  says  :  "  His  Excellency,  F.  H.  Burt, 
Governor  of  Nebraska,  reached  Bellevue  on  the  6th  inst.,  in  a  feeble 
condition,  and  since  that  time  has  been  under  careful  medical  treat- 
ment," and  in  the  same  item  the  paper  announces  the  postponement 
of  the   contemplated    reception    at    Omaha. 

The    next    number,    October    20,     is     draped     in     mourning    for   the 


*  Hon.  A.  J.  Poppleton,  in  his  speech  December  3d,  1863,  at  the  breaking  of  the  ground 
for  the  Union  Pacific,  referred,  by  way  of  comparison  as  to  Omaha's  growth,  to  the  time  when 
A.  D.  Jones  used  to  carry  the  p.  -l-office  in  his  hat.  Mr.  Poppleton  thus  first  gave  the  fact 
a   notoriety  which  has   increased   with    the  progress  of  the  city  since  that  date. 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA.  55 

death  of  Gov.  Burt,  and  contains  a  long  obituary  article  and 
resolutions,  both  of  which  had  appeared  in  an  extra  on  Wednesday, 
October    iSth,    the    day    on    which    the   sad   event   occurred. 

The  following  item  from  this  number,  will  interest  our  Methodist 
readers  : 

"M.  E.  Church  in*  Omaha  City. — In  the  late  session  of  the 
Iowa  Conference,  a  new  district  known  as  the  Nebraska  and  Kansas 
Missionary  District  was  established,  at  present  under  the  Presiding 
Eldership  of  Rev.  M.  F.  Shinn,  of  Council  Bluff  City,  Iowa.  The 
stations  are  as  follows  :  Omaha  City,  Old  Ft.  Kearney,  Waukaressa 
and  Ft.    Leavenworth." 

Two  proclamations  by  Acting-Governor  Cuming  are  also  found  in 
the  Arrow  of  this  date — the  first  being  in  respect  to  the  Governor's 
death,    and    the  second    ordering    the  taking  of    the   census,  &c. 

The  Arro-v  of  November  3d  announces  the  arrival  of  B.  B. 
Chapman  thus  :  "A  few  days  since  with  pleasure  we  met  with  B. 
B.  Chapman,  Esq.,  from  Lorian  county,  Ohio.  A  staunch  Demo- 
crat of  the  right  stamp,  and  one  in  whom  the  administration  has 
placed  implicit  confidence.  His  talent,  eneigy  and  gentlemanly  de- 
portment  will    make    him  scarce  of  friends,   &c." 

Whether  the  gentleman  considered  this  a  complimentary  notice  or 
not,  this  historian  has  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  But  we  imagine 
that  he  felt  like  making  that  editor  very  scarce  about  that  time  for 
not  having  seen  the  error  and  corrected  it  by  putting  in  the  word 
"  scores." 

Notice  is  made  of  the  sale  of  the  "Big  6"  by  Mr.  Clancy  to  Mr. 
Goodwill,   "lately  from   New   York." 

The  arrival  of  Dr.  G.  L.  Miller,  Omaha's  fust  physician,  is 
mentioned  in  this  number  as  follows  :  "  We  were  agreeably  surprised 
to  see  the  sign  of  Dr.  G.  L.  Miller  hanging  out  at  Mr.  E.  Buddel's 
residence,  in    this  place   a   few  days   since.      Although    but    little  sick- 


56  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

ne6S  pervades  our  prairie  land,  we  can  but  congratulate  our  citizens 
upon  the  acquisition  of  a  young  and  apparently  well  qualified  phy- 
sician to  our  society.  He  comes  kindly  recommended  from  his  late 
practice   in    the   city    of  Syracuse,    N.    Y." 

■The  work  on  the  State  House  goes  on  briskly,"  says  the  Arrow, 
"and  but  a  few  da_/s  more  will  elapse  ere  the  entire  wall  and  roof 
will  be  completed.  It  will  be  ready  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
body   for   which   it   was   intended,  before    the   middle    of  next   month." 

"  The  large  brick  hotel  commenced  here  a  short  time  ago  by 
Jesse  Lowe,  Esq.,  will  now  go  rapidly  on  to  completion,"  says  the 
Arrow. 

The  Arrow  of  November  ioth  asks,  in  a  long  editorial,  "who 
will  be  appointed  Governor  of  Nebraska  ?"  It  also  notices  the  de- 
parture of  Marshal  Izard  for  his  family  in  Arkansas,  and  thinks  he 
would  make   a  good  sucessor   to  Governor   Burt. 

The  Arrow  is  assured  by  Mr.  Davis,  the  contractor,  that  the 
State  House  will  be  ready  December  ist,  and  in  the  same  connec- 
tion says,  "Our  fiiend,  J.  M.  Thayer,  is  erecting  a  neat  dwelling 
near  by,  and  to  the  society  of  Omaha  City  his  agreeable  family  will 
shortly  be  a  pleasant  addition.  Friend  Parker  is  putting  up  an  ex- 
cellent  house  for  his  family,    and    a   host  of  others  are  doing  likewise." 

The  Fontenelle  House  receives  a  good  notice  :  "  This  is  the  name 
of  the  large  and  beautiful  brick  hotel,  now  in  process  of  erection  at 
this  place.  It  is  appropriately  named  after  the  head  chief  of  the 
Omaha  Indian  tribe,  whose  hunting  grounds,  by  purchase  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States,  we  now  occupy,  and  after  whose  tribe 
this  prosperous   place    is    named." 

"  We  hope  to  lay  before  our  readers  in  the  next  number  of  the 
Arrow,"  says  the  editor,  "the  full  census  returns  of  the  Territory, 
also  the  arrangements  of  the  districts  and  the  amount  of  representa- 
tion   to    which    each    is   entitled." 


11 1  ST  OR  7'    OF    OMAHA.  57 


But  the  next  number  never  appeared  ;  for  what  reason  this  his- 
torian knows  not.  The  Nebraskian  succeeded  it  and  was  run  in  the 
interest  of  Bird  B.  Chapman,  who  was  elected  as  Nebraska's  first 
delegate  to   Congress. 


58  IIISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


OMAHA   WINS    THE    CAPITAL    PRIZE. 


FIRST     TERRITORIAL      OFFICERS ARRIVAL      OF      GOVERNOR      BURT      AND 

SECRETARY         CUMING DEATH        OF        GOVERNOR        BURT CUMING 

BECOMES        ACTING-GOVERNOR HE       CALLS        AN         ELECTION         AND 

DESIGNATES  OMAHA  AS  THE  PLACE  FOR  HOLDING  THE  FIRST 
LEGISLATURE — THE    CAPITAL     FIGHT — OMAHA     VICTORIOUS — SCENES 

AND     INCIDENTS     OF     THE     SESSION THE    MEN    WHO    COMPOSED    THE 

LEGISLATURE — TOUGH  STORIES — "  SCRIP-TOWN  " — A  JOKE  ON  A 
"SHARP" — JAMES  C.  MITCHELL  LOCATES  THE  CAPITOL  BUILDING — 
AN  INDIGNATION  MEETING  AT  GLENWOOD,  IOWA OMAHA'S  CHAM- 
PIONS— WILD-CAT  BANKS — A  JOKE  ON  JONES — IZARD  BECOMES 
GOVERNOR — ARRIVAL    OF    U.    S.    ATTORNEY    ESTABROOK. 

.  jRANCIS  H.  BURT,  of  South  Carolina,  was  the  first 
Territorial  Governor  of  Nebraska,  he  having  been  ap- 
pointed in  the  place  of  William  O.  Butler,  who  had 
declined  the  honor.  The  other  first  territorial  officers 
were :  Thomas  B.  Cuming,  of  Iowa,  Secretary  ;  Fenner 
Ferguson,  of  Michigan,  Chief  Justice  ;  James  Bradley,  of 
Indiana,  and  Edward  R.  Hardin,  of  Georgia,  Associate 
Justices ;  Mark  W.  Izard,  of  Arkansas,  Marshal  ;  and  Experience 
Estabrook,  of  Wisconsin,    Attorney. 

It  was  on  the  6th  day  of  October,  1S54,  that  Goyernor  Burt  and 
Secretary  Cuming  arrived  in  the  territory  and  stopped  at  Bellevue. 
The  other  territorial  officers  came  at  different  times  during  the  fol- 
lowing;   few    months. 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA.  59 

A  grand  reception  had  been  arranged  at  Omaha  for  the  Gov- 
ernor and  Secretary.  The  committee  of  reception  was  composed  of 
Charles  B.  Smith,  A.  D.  Jones,  W.  R.  Rogers,  R.  B.  Whitted, 
Michael  Murphy,  Wm.  Clancy,  S.  A.  Lewis,  C.  H.  Downs,  Wm. 
N.  Byers,  and  Wm.  Right  ;  and  the  committee  of  arrangements 
consisted  of  T.  Allen,  C,  B.  Smith,  David  Lindley,  Alex.  Davis  and 
C.    H.    Downs. 

But  the  reception  never  came  off,  owing  to  the  illness  .and  death 
of  Governor  Burt.  He  came  here  in  poor  health,  and  continued  to 
fail  rapidly  until  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  October  iSth.  1S54, 
at  half-past  three  o'clock,  he  died  at  the  old  Presbyterian  Mission 
House  at  Bellevue,  of  which  the  Rev.  William  J.  Hamilton  was  the 
missionary  in  charge.  The  sad  event  cast  a  deep  gloom  over  the 
entire    territory. 

Governor  Burt  was  a  native  of  Pendleton,  South  Carolina,  and 
was  about  45  years  of  age.  He  left  a  wife,,  two  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

His  remains  were  sent  back  to  South  Carolina,  being  accom- 
panied thither  by  his  son,  Armsted  Burt,  and  an  escort  of  four 
pall-bearers. 

Secretary  Cuming,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  became  Governor,  and 
at  once  took  hold  of  the  executive  reins.  His  first  act  was  to 
issue  a  proclamation  in  reference  to  the  death  of  Governor  Burt, 
ordering  that  the  national  colors  be  draped  in  mourning,  and  that 
the  territorial  officers  wear  crape  upon  the  left  arm  for  thirty 
days. 

Ilis'second  act  was  the  issuance  of  a  proclamation  on  the  21st 
day  of  October,  1854,  for  a  census  or  an  enumeration  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Territory,  to  commence  October  24th,  1S54,  under  officers 
instructed  to  complete  the  same,  as  nearly  as  possible,  within  four 
after    which    notices     were    to    be     distributed     for     the     election 


6o  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

of  B   delegate    to    Congress,    and    of  a     territorial    legislature   to    con- 
\cne    that    winter. 

The  object  of  the  proclamation  was  to  give  notice  to  persons 
who  h;ul  removed  temporarily  from  the  Territory,  to  return  in  time 
for  the  census,  as  "  in  no  case  would  names  be  enrolled  except  of 
actual    and    permanent   residents  of  the  Territory." 

Governor  Cuming  next  issued  a  proclamation,  November  21st,  for 
an   election,   which   took  place   December   12th. 

It  was  the  duty  of  the  Governor  to  convene  the  legislature  at 
some  point  of  his  own  selection,  and  the  first  legislature  was  to  fix 
the  location  of  the  capital.  He  designated  Omaha  as  the  place  for 
the  holding  of  the  first  legislature,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of 
the  representatives  of  other  points,  all  of  whom  were  straining  every 
nerve  and  using  »very  means  to  induce  him  to  designate  their  own 
favorite  town.  A  deep  resentment  towards  the  Governor  on  the  part 
of  the   disappointed    applicants   was    the   natural   consequence. 

The  legislature  met  at  Omaha  on  the  16th  of  January,  1S54,  in 
the  State  House,  which  had  been  built  by  the  Ferry  Company  in 
anticipation    of  this   event. 

A  large  number  of  men  who  had  been  disappointed  in  their  en- 
deavors to  secure  this  first  meeting  of  the  legislature  at  other  towns, 
in  which  they  were  interested,  flocked  to  Omaha  at  this  time  in  an 
angry   and    revengeful    mood. 

Hon.  J.  M.  Woolworth,  in  his  "  Nebraska  in  1S57,"  in  referring 
to  this  first  legislature,  says  in  regard  to  this  mob,  that  "  they  ar- 
rayed  themselves  in  the  red  blankets  of  the  savages  and  loudly 
proclaimed  their  design  of  breaking  up  the  Assembly.  At  the  hour 
for  the  convening  of  the  Houses,  their  halls  were  filled  with  these 
excited  and  desperate  men.  But  before  they  were  aware  of  it,  reso- 
lutions assembling  the  <two  Houses  in  a  joint  session  were  passed  ; 
and    the    moment    they    had    met,    the   Governor   entered,    and,    without 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  61 

prologue,  delivered  to  each  member  elect  the  certificate  of  his  elec- 
tion, pronounced  his  message,  and  declared  the  Assembly  organized, 
directed  each  House  to  withdraw  to  complete  its  organization,  and 
vanquished,  in  half  an  hour,  ever}'  design  either  upon  himself  or  the 
legislature.  It  was  a  time  when  anything  less  than  the  executive 
energy  of  Andrew  Jackson  would  have  involved  the  Governor  in 
inextricable  difficulties,    and    the    Territory    in    anarch  v." 

The  location  of  the  territorial  capital  was  the  principal  and  most 
important  business  before  the  legislature,  occupying  a  large  portion  of 
the  time  that  that  august  body  was  in  session,  which  was  from  the 
16th  day  of  January  to  the  17th  day  of  March,  1S55.  The  remain- 
der of  the  session,  after  the  settlement  of  the  capital  question,  was 
devoted  to  the  organization  of  counties,  the  location  of  the  county  seats, 
the  granting  of  toll-bridge  and  ferry  priviles|es,  and  the  passage  of 
a    complete   code  of  laws    for   the   Territory. 

The  difficult  capital  question  caused  even  more  bitter  feeling  than 
had  Acting-Governor  Cuming's  designation  of  Omaha  in  the  first 
instance,  as  the  point  at  which  the  legislature  should  assemble.  The 
scenes  and  incidents  that  ensued  during  this  session  were  exciting  as 
well  as  amusing,  and  often,  at  this  present  day,  form  the  most  in- 
teresting portion  of  the  reminiscences  of  some  of  the  old  settlers,  who 
took  a  most  active  part  in  everything  that  then  transpired.  They 
entered  into  public  affairs  with  a  spirit  that  was  bound  to  win. 
Their  brains  and  hands  were  diligent  and  active — the  former  in 
hatching  up  schemes  to  thwart  the  designs  of  the  enemy  upon  Omaha, 
and  the  latter  in  going  down  into  their  own  pockets  and  handing 
out  both  money  and  town-lot  stock  to  those  who  were  willing  to 
receive  such  favors  and  reciprocate  for  the  same  by  voting  for 
Omaha. 

The  legislature  was  largely  made  up  of  men  who,  although  claim- 
ing   a    residence    here,    had    their  homes   elsewhere,   and  who   had   ac- 


6a  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

quired  their  residence  by  one  night's  sleep  in  the  district  they 
represented.  Such  men  talked  the  loudest  about  their  fidelity  to  their 
beloved  and  confiding  constituents,  whose  interests  were  ever  dearest 
to  their  hearts.  They  thus  amused  themselves  as  well  as  others, 
for  their  constituents  were  scattered  all  over  the  United  States.  On 
the  other  hand  there  were  a  few,  and  only  a  few,  who  actually  did 
reside   in    the   Territory. 

Mr.  D.  M.  Johnston,  of  Ohio,  who  was  the  "  member  from  Archer," 
had  a  political  ambition  that  knew  no  bounds.  Elated  with  his  suc- 
cess  in  Nebraska — and  wishing  to  ride  two  legislative  horses  at  the 
same  time — he  obtained  ten  days'  leave  of  absence,  and  going  down  to 
Kansas  he  ran  for  representative  there,  and  was  only  defeated  by  a 
very   close  vote. 

But  the  fact  that  non-residents  largely  made  up  the  first  legislature 
was  only  one  of  those  incidents  which  are  witnessed  in  all  new  countries. 

The  following  gentlemen  composed  the  first  legislature — the  Italics 
show  the  places  represented,  while  the  original  place  of  residence  fol- 
lows   the   name   of  each  member  in  Roman    letters  : 

Council — Archer,  Richardson  county,  J.  L.  Sharp,  President, 
Tennessee.  Nebraska  City,  Pierce  now  Otoe  county,  A.  H.  Brad- 
ford, Maine;  H.  P.  Bennet,  Maine;  C.  H.  Cowies,  New  York. 
Bro-vnrille,  Forney  now  Nemaha  count)',  Richard  Brown,  Tennessee- 
Fontcnelle,  then  in  Dodge,  but  now  in  Washington  county,  M.  H. 
Clark,  New  York.  Tel-amali,  Burt  county,  B.  R.  Folsom,  New  York. 
Omaha,  Douglas  county,  T.  G.  Goodwill,  New  York  ;  A.  D.  Jones, 
Pennsylvania ;  O.  D.  Richardson,  Michigan  ;  S.  E.  Rogers,  Ken- 
tucky. Platismovth,  Cass  county,  Luke  Nuckolls,  Virginia.  Florence, 
then    in   Washington    county,  J.    C.    Mitchell,    Florence. 

Officers  of  the  Council. — Dr.  G.  L.  Miller,  chief  clerk,  Omaha; 
O.  F.  Lake,  assistant  clerk,  Brownville ;  S.  A.  Lewis,  Omaha,  ser- 
geant-at-arms  ;  N.    R.    Folsom,    of  Tekamah,    door-keeper. 


HIS  TOR 2'    OF    OMAHA.  63 

House  of  Representatives. — Omaha,  Douglas  county,  A.  J. 
Hanscom,  speaker,  Michigan  ;  W.  N.  Byers,  Ohio  ;  Wm.  Clancy, 
Michigan;  F.  Davidson,  Virginia;  Thomas  Davis,  England;  A.  D. 
Goyer,  Michigan  ;  A.  J.  Poppleton,  Michigan  ;  Robert  Whitted,  Ten- 
nessee. Fort  Calhoun,  Washington  county,  A.  Archer,  Vermont. 
Florence,  Washington  county,  A.  J.  Smith,  Pennsylvania.  Nebraska 
City,  in  Pierce  now  Otoe  county,  G.  Bennett,  Virginia  ;  J.  H. 
Cowles,  Ohio  ;  J.  H.  Decker,  Kentucky  ;  W.  H.  Hail,  Virginia  ;  Wm. 
Maddox,  Indiana.  Brorvnville,  in  Forney  now  Nemaha  county, 
W.  A.  Finnev,  Ohio ;  J.  M.  Wood,  Kentucky.  Fontenclle,  then 
in  Dodge,  now  in  Washington  county,  E.  R.  Doyle,  South  Car- 
olina; Wm.  A.  Richardson,  New  York.  Archer,  Richardson  county, 
D.  M.  Johnston,  Ohio  ;  J.  A.  Singleton,  Pennsylvania.  Rock  Bluff, 
Cass  county,  Wm.  Kempton,  Pennsylvania.  Plattsmouth,  Cass  county, 
J.  M.  Latham,  Virginia.  De  Soto,  Burt  county,  J.  B.  Robertson, 
Ohio.  Tekamah,  Burt  county,  A.  C.  Purple,  Massachusetts.  Kenosha, 
Cass   county,  J.    D.    Hi    Thompson,    Tennessee. 

Officers  of  the  House. — J.  W.  Paddock,  chief  clerk,  Council  Bluffs 
and  Omaha ;  G.  L.  Eayre,  assistant  clerk,  Glenwood,  Iowa  ;  J.  L. 
Gibbs,  sergeant-at-arms,  Nebraska  City  ;  B.  B.  Thompson,  door- 
keeper,   Omaha. 

Excitement  ran  at  fever  heat  all  the  time  that  the  capital  con- 
test was  being  fought.  The  contestants  lor  the  prize  were  Omaha, 
Fontenelle,  Florence,  Bellevue,  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska  City,  Brown- 
ville,  and  in  fact  all  the  embryo  towns  south  of  the  Platte.  These 
southern  towns,  one  and  all,  were  opposed  to  Omaha  for  the  reason 
that  she  would  be  a  less  formidable  rival  to  Plattsmouth  without  the 
capital  than  with  it.  The  whole  South  Platte  country  was  bitterly 
hostile  to  Omaha.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Omaha  had  a  big  fight 
on  hand.  It  was  only  the  clear  foresightedness  of  the  founders  of 
the    town,  and   their   precautionary   measures    which   they    had   taken   to 


<..,  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

meet  the  anticipated  struggle,  that  enabled  Omaha  to  come  out  vic- 
torious in  the  tierce  contest  for  supremacy.  The  joint  resolution 
locating    the     capitol    building   at    Omaha     was    passed    February  22d, 

1855. 

Some  of  the  incidents  of  the  fight  are  worth  repeating.  "Scrip 
Town  "  had  been  laid  out  by  the  owners  of  the  original  town  site 
of  Omaha,  as  one  of  the  "  precautionary  measures,"  alluded  to  above. 
It  was  about  a  half-mile  wide,  and  adjoined  the  north  and  west 
sides  of  Omaha.  The  stock  was  used  to  "  induce ''  members  of  the 
legislature.  Gen.  Estabrook,  then  Territorial  Attorney,  who  arrived  in 
the  Territory  January  21st,  1855,  and  knows  all  about  it,  is  our  au- 
thority for  the  word  "  induce,"  which  in  this  connection  had  a  pe- 
culiar signification.  This  "scrip"  was  the  salt  that  was  sprinkled 
on  the  bird's  tail,  figuratively  speaking,  but  it  seems  to  us  that  the 
term  "  sugar  "  would  be  more  appropriate,  as  it  certainly  "  sweetened" 
some  of  Omaha's  bitterest  enemies.  However,  whether  '•  su^ar "  or 
"salt,"  it  was  generally  put  where  it  would  do  the  most  good.  But 
in  one  case,  however,  it  was  not  so  applied.  One  very  "sharp" 
man,  a  leading  member  of  the  Council,  had  been  given  a  number 
of  shares,  amounting  to  about  one-twelfth  of  the  "  Scrip-Town  "  site, 
to  "  induce "  him  to  vote  for  Omaha,  such  being  the  understanding. 
He,  however,  indiscreetly  revealed  the  fact  that  he  was  going  to 
vote  against  Omaha,  and,  as  is  usually  the  caW?,  it  soon  leaked  out. 
Now,  Omaha  wanted  just  another  vote  to  make  up  for  this  one. 
which  she  was  going  to  lose.  A  certain  gentleman  of  Omaha, 
who  was  the  leading  champion  of  the  city,  said  he  could  obtain  the 
necessary  vote,  if  they  could  regain  possession  of  this  stock,  which 
was  to  be  used  for  that  purpose.  A  plan  was  accordingly  laid  and 
carried  out.  A  shrewd  and  cool  man,  now  a  prominent  St.  Louis 
merchant,  proved  himself  equal  to  the  emergency  and  rescued  the 
"scrip"    from    the    treacherous     hands    into    which    it  had    fallen.       He 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  65 

met  the  "sharp"  individual,  as  if  by  chance,  and  said  to  him,  "I 
forgot  to  number  those  papers  on  the  books.  Let  me  have  them 
and  I'll  attend  to  it  at  once."  The  papers  -were  accordingly  handed 
over,  and  that  was  the  last  ever  seen  of  them  by  the  "  sharp,"  as 
the  person  to  whom  he  had  given  them  put  them  in  his  pocket  and 
walked  off,  remarking  to  him  that  he  might  help  himself  if  he 
could.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  that  "sharp"  felt  rather  flat  at  this 
sudden,  unexpected  and  unprofitable  turn  of  affairs.  Of  course  he 
immediately  comprehended  the  meaning  of  the  transaction,  and  it  is 
pretty   certain    that  he   did    not   vota  for  Omaha. 

The  "scrip"  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  gentleman  who  had 
agreed  to  secure  the  vote  to  make  up  for  this  desertion,  and  we  have 
it  on  good  authority  that  that  mueh-wanted  vote  was  obtained  inside 
of  twenty-four    hours. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  capital  fight  James  C.  Mitchell,  of 
Florence,  who  had  been  an  exceedingly  bitter  enemy  of  Omaha,  was 
"  induced"  to  abate  his  hostility  by  the  usual  means,  which  were  not 
then   thoroughly    known    or   appreciated    by    the   general    public. 

Mitchell's  influence,  be  it  remembered,  wras  sufficient  to  fix  the 
capital  at  Omaha,  or  take  it  away,  and  as  he  had  been  pursuaded  to 
favor  Omaha,  he  was  appointed  as  a  reward  and  by  agreement,  the 
sole  commissioner  to  locate  the  capitol  building  within  some  portion 
of  the  city,  and  the  northern  boundary  of  Douglas  county — the  county 
then  embracing  an  extent  of  territory  reaching  from  a  ravine  on  the 
north  side  of  the  city  south  to  the  Platte  river,  and  west  to  the 
Elkhorn — was  extended,  by  proclamation  of  the  Governor,  so  as  to 
take  in  the  whole  of  "scrip-town,"  in  order  to  give  Mitchell  plenty 
of  room.  When  the  vote  was  about  to  be  put  in  the  Council,  he  ex- 
plained that,  as  others,  with  the  same  interest  as  himself,  had  gone 
back  on  him.  it  would  now  be  every  man  for  himself,  and  that  he 
would    therefore  locate     the    capitol    within    the  city    limits    of  Omaha, 


66  J I  IS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 

Somewhere  on  the  line  between  the  Clancy  claim  and  the  J  e  fiery 
claim.  The  line  between  these  two  claims  ran  from  the  Sulphur 
Springs  back  to  the  high  ground.  He  was  favorably  impressed,  he 
said,  with  the  location  near  the  Sulphur  Springs,  and  also  with  that 
Of  the  high  ground  further  back.  But  he  would  not  determine  until 
further   examination. 

A  short  time  thereafter  Mr.  Mitchell  stuck  his  stake  for  the  cap- 
itol  building  on  Capitol  Hill,  where  it  was  afterwards  built.  In  the 
Summer  following  Mr.  Mitchell  advertised  about  sixty  lots  in  the 
city  of  Omaha  for  sale  at  auction,  and  the  lots  sold  for  about  $60 
each.  Whether  there  wras  any  connection  between  Mitchell's  location 
of  the  capitol  and  those  lots,  we  leave  the  reader  to  draw  his  own 
inference. 

A  member  from  a  certain  county,  in  which  he  had  never  lived, 
was  given  some  shares  in  order  to  "induce''  another  mdtnber  from 
the  South  Platte  country  to  go  for  Omaha.  This  man,  whom  we 
shall  call  P.,  for  convenience  sake,  wanted  the  shares  himself,  and  he 
accordingly  advised  the  South  Platte  gentleman,  Mr.  T.,  to  take  noth- 
ing but  money.  T.,  acting  on  this  advice,  demanded  $1,000  for  his 
vote.  One  of  the  ferry  company's  chief  manipulators,  Mr.  J.,  told  T. 
to  go  in  and  vote  and  it  would  be  all  right,  as  he  would  get  the 
money.  Next  day  J.  went  over  the  river,  and  T.  never  got  any 
money  or  shares  either.  Mr.  P.,  who  had  retained  the  shares,  said 
they  had  been  given  to  him  to  use  to  the  best  advantage,  and  as 
he  himself  was  the  most  doubtful  man  he  knew  of,  he  had  concluded 
to  purchase    himself. 

Several  of  the  members  of  the  legislature  were  residents  of 
Glenwood,  Iowa,  where  a  very  deep  interest  was  felt  in  having  the 
capital  located  at  Plattsmouth.  Some  of  the  members  who  came 
from  Glenwood  failed  to  vote  for  Plattsmouth,  and  at  the  close  of 
the   session    an     indignation     meeting    was    actually    held    at   Glenwood 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  67 

to  call  to  account  "  their  representatives  for  misrepresenting  them  in 
the    Nebraska   legislature." 

Col.  J.  L.  Sharpe,  president  of  the  Council,  resided  at  Glenwood, 
and  represented  Richardson  County.  He  had  promised,  owing  to 
the  usual  inducements,  to  vote  for  Omaha,  but  he  went  for  Plattsmouth 
after   all,    having   intended    to    do    so    from    the    first. 

Luke  Nuckolls,  representing  Cass  county,  and  Bennett  and  Brad- 
ford,  representing    Pierce,    now    Otoe     county,    all    lived    at   Glenwood. 

In  the  House,  Glenwood  sent  Kempton  and  Latham  to  represent 
Cass  county,  and  Thompson  to  represent  Nemaha  county.  Latham, 
originally  a  lawyer  from  Virginia,  having  gone  back  on  Plattsmouth, 
never  dared  to  go  back  to  Glenwood,  for  they  would  have 
lynched  him.  He  died  the  following  summer  at  Council  Bluffs  ; 
whether  he  died  from  grief  at  the  indignation  of  Glenwood,  or  not, 
this  historian  has  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  Thompson,  on  his 
return  to  Glenwood,  narrowly  escaped  a  flagellation  from  his  out- 
raged   constituency,  whom   he    had    misrepresented. 

Omaha's  cause  was  ably  and  shrewdly  championed  in  the  Coun- 
cil by  O.  D.  Richardson  and  T.  G.  Goodwill,  and  by  A.  J.  Pop- 
pleton  and  A.  J.  llanscom  in  the  House.  Hanscom,  who  would 
as  soon  fight  as  eat  in  those  days,  was  always  called  on  when 
there  was  likely  to  be  any  trouble,  and  either  in  fisticuffs,  debate, 
or  "tactics,"  he  generally  succeeded  in  coming  out  of  the  affair  on 
top  of  the  heap.  Many  good  stories  are  told  of  him,  some  of  which 
we    shall   refer    to    hereafter. 

It  was  he  who  had  been  selected  to  undertake  the  job  of  getting 
the  control  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  he  did  it.  He 
was  elected  speaker,  and  thus  secured  the  appointment  of  committees 
which  gave  Omaha  considerable  advantage.  The  following  para- 
graph from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Miller,  editor  of  the  Omaha  Herald. 
illustrates  to    perfection    the   early    legislative   days   of   Nebraska  : 


I/ISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


■  Hanscom  ami  Poppleton  carried  the  art  of  winking  to  its  highest 
perfection  in  those  days.  The  latter  was  always  first  recognized  by 
speaker  Hanscom  when  he  wanted  the  lloor.  The  speaker  was 
particular  about  keeping  order.  Any  refractory  member,  opposed  to 
Omaha,  who  refused  to  take  his  seat  when  ordered  to,  was  emphati- 
cally notified  that  if  he  didn't  sit  down  he  would  get  knocked  down. 
The  result  was  usually  satisfactory  to  the  speaker.  The  excitement 
over  the  capital  question  was,  at  times,  very  great.  The  lobbies,  we 
remember,  were  once  crowded  with  the  respective  parties  to  the 
contest,  armed  with  bludgeons,  brick-bats,  and  pistols.  A  fight  was 
thought    to    be   imminent,  but   it    did   not    occur." 

Among  the  members  of  the  first  legislature  were  two  Missourians 
who  claimed  to  represent  some  county  in  Nebraska,  both  claiming 
the  sarpe  seat.  One  of  them  was  a  preacher  named  Wood,  who,  as 
chaplain,  did  the  praying  for  the  House  of  Representatives.  When 
the  contest  for  his  seat  came  up,  he  promised  to  an  Omaha  man  that 
he  would  vote  for  Omaha  on  the  capital  question,  if  they  would 
give  him  his  seat.  He  got  his  seat  in  that  way,  thus  knocking  his 
opponent  out  of  the  ring.  A  day  or  two  afterwards  he  met  the 
Omaha  man  to  whom  he  had  made  the  promise,  and  putting  on  a 
very  long  face  he  said,  "Mr.  H.,  I  am  very  sorry,  indeed,  to  be 
obliged  to  inform  you  that  I  shall,  owing  to  the  force  of  circum- 
•  stances,   be   compelled   to  vote   against   Omaha  !" 

"The  devil  you  say  !"    exclaimed  Mr.  H.      "You're  a 

infernal    lying  old    hypocrite  !" 

"Those    are    hard    words,    my    dear    Mr.    II.,    but " 

"  I  reiterate  it,  that  you  are  an  infernal  lying  old  hypocrite. 
You're  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing.  And,  by  gracious !  you've  said 
your  last  prayer  before  this  legislature.  If  there  is  any  more  praying 
to   be    done   I    will    do    it    myself.      That's    the   kind    of  a    man    I    am." 

Mr.    H.   kept    his    word,   and    fixed    it    so    that    Mr.    Wood's    services 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  69 

as  chaplain  were  dispensed  with  from  that  day  forward,  but  Wood 
went  on  and  served  out  his  term  as  a  member  of  the  House  in  the 
seat  that  he  obtained  by  his  promise.  The  Omaha  men,  however, 
made  it  so  warm  for  him  during  the  remainder  of  the  session  that 
he   passed  anything    but  a   pleasant    term   in   office. 

After  the  settlement  of  the  capital  fight,  the  legislature  transacted 
its  other  business  in  a  comparatively  quiet  way.  Among  the  numer- 
ous bills  passed  was  one  making  William  P.  Snowden  auctioneer 
for  Douglas  county.  Several  amusing  incidents  occurred  during  the 
remainder  of  the  session,  one  of  which  we  shall  here  relate,  as  it  is 
too  good  to  be  lost.  For  the  main  points  we  are  indebted  to 
"  M. -I. -Grant,"  whose  other  name  is  J.  Sterling  Morton,  who,  in  "A  pen 
Picture  from  the  Pioneer  Legislature,"  published  in  the  Omaha  Herald 
a  few  years  ago,  gives  a  graphic  account  of  the  episode.  Mr.  A.  D, 
}ones  made  a  rather  "  hifalutin "  speech  in  opposition  to  the  char- 
tering of  certain  banks  in  the  Territory,  the  bill  being  called  the 
Territorial  Bank  Act.  Mr.  Jones  denounced  the  whole  scheme  as 
savoring  too  much  of  a  "wild  cat"  nature.  He  appealed  to  the 
honorable  body  to  guard  their  reputation  ;  to  consider  the  esteem 
in  which  posterity  would  hold  the  founders  of  this  commonwealth  ; 
he  begged  of  them  not  to  entail  upon  the  people  of  the  Territory  a 
financial  measure  that  would  lead  to  distress  and  ruin,  and  for  which 
they  would  be  cursed  by  their  constituents  for  many  years  to  come. 
Mr.  Jones  soared  aloft  in  his  flights  of  rhetoric,  and  declared  that 
"when  he  (Jones)  should  be  gathered  to  his  fathers,  and  an  humble 
monument  had  been  erected  to  his  memory,  upon  the  site  of  his 
beautiful  home  in  Park  Wild,  it  would  gratify  his  soul,  to  look 
down  from  the  high  battlements  of  heaven — the  regions  of  the  blessed 
— and  read  upoj»  that  monument  the  simple  and  truthful  inscription  : 
'Here  lies  an  honest  man  —  He  voted  against  "wild-cat"  banks  in 
Nebraska.' " 


7° 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


HERE  LIES  AN 

HONEST     MAN 

WHO 

VOTED  AGAINST 

WILDCAT  BANKS 

NEBRASKA 


iiiilllliiwill 


THE    MONUMENT    THAT    MR.   JONES    DESIRED. 


Mr.   Jones    resumed 

his  seat,  and  wiped  the 
perspiration  from  his 
brow  with  his  bandan- 
na pocket  handkerchief, 
while  an  expression  of 
satisfaction  at  his  elo- 
quent effort  seemed  to 
rest  upon  his  features. 
A  deep  silence  en- 
sued in  the  Council 
chamber,  which  was 
soon  broken,  however, 
by  Allen  H.  Bradford, 
k-  who  represented  Otoe 
^  county.  Bradford  was 
a  short  and  fat  man 
with  a  broad  face  and 
big  round  head.  But 
his  voice  was  not  at 
all   in    accordance    with 


his  general  appearance.  It  was  a  thin,  high-toned,  cracked  voice. 
In  fact,  it  was  more  of  a  squeal  than  anything  else,  and  whenever 
he  spoke  he  attracted  considerable  attention  on  this  account.  Brad- 
ford was  in  favor  of  the  bill,  to  which  Mr.  Jones  had  just  alluded 
to  as  being  of  a  feline  character.  Bradford  rose  to  his  feet,  and  in 
his  squealing  tones  of  voice  replied  to  Mr.  Jones  about  as  follows: 
"  Mr.  Pres-i-dcnt  .•  The  gentle-wrt?*  from  Park  Wild  says  he  is 
hon-ist  ;  I  sup-/<we  he  is.  I  don't  sup-fose  he  would  lie  about  so 
small  a  mat-ter.  He  speaks  of  dy-ing  ;  but  if  he  is  as  hon-z'^  as  he 
says    he    is     I    don't    think    he'll    ever    die.     No,    sir  ;    he'll    be    trans- 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  71 

luted ;  he'll  go  up  in  a  char-utf  of  f-i-r-e,  like  Eli-jah  and  the  other 
old  fellows.  I  can  almost  see  him  agoing  up;  kig7i-er  !  kigk-er  ! 
Jiigh-er  ! 

"For  mv  part,  Mr.  Presi-*?e»tf,  I  wish  he'd  go  wotv.  He  talks 
about  the  time  when  he  shall  be  a.-\ook-ing  down  from  the  high 
battlements  of  heav-ew.  I  wish  he  was  up  there  now,  a-singin'  for- 
ever more,  among  the  blessed,  instead  of  being  down  here  a-makin' 
speeches    which    don't   do   any  good    away   out   here    in    Nebras-X-_v." 

That  was  all  Mr.  Bradford  had  to  say.  He,  too,  like  Jones,  sat 
down  satisfied.  A  general  laughter  followed  his  effort,  and  Brad- 
ford could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  join  in  with  the  rest.  If 
Mr.  Jones  didn't  laugh  then,  he  probably  has  done  so  often  since 
that  time,    whenever  this    incident   has    been    recalled   to   his    mind. 

Bradford  has  since  been  a  delegate  to  Congress  from  Colorado, 
and  has  also   been  a  Judge. 

We  have  given  only  a  few  of  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  the  first 
Nebraska  legislature,  but  they  are  sufficient  samples  from  which  the 
■whole    session  can  be  judged. 

Omaha  secured  the  capital.  She  fought  hard  to  get  it,  and  she 
had  to  contend  for  its  retention  at  every  session  of  the  legislature, 
until  the  year  1858,  from  which  time  she  retained  the  capital  till 
she  became  a  State  in  1S67. 

Mark  W.  Izard  having  been  promoted  from  the  office  of  Marshal 
to  that  of  Governor,  entered  upon  the  duties  of  chief  territorial  ex- 
ecutive, February  20,  1S55,  while  this  session  of  the  legislature  was 
in  progress,  filling  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Governor 
Burt.  Mr.  E.  R.  Doyle,  who  had  accompanied  Governor  Burt  hither 
from  South  Carolina,  and  had  become  a  member  of  the  legislature, 
succeeded    Izard    ;is    Marshal. 


:- 


HIS  TOR)'    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE   FIRST    EXECUTIVE    BALL. 


A  GRAND  AFFAIR  IN  HONOR  OF  GOV.  IZARD — CUMING  SUGGESTS  IT 
— THE  GENTLEMEN  AND  LADIES  WHO  WERE  THERE — HAPS  AND 
MISHAPS. 

HE  first  and  only  executive  ball  ever  given  in  Omaha  came 
oft"  in  January.  1S55.  It  was  in  honor  of  Governor 
Izard,  who  had  just  been  appointed  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  death  of  Governor  Burt,  and  who 
soon  afterwards  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
his  office.  The  affair  took  place  at  the  City  Hotel.  The 
building,  somewhat  enlarged,  is  still  standing  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Harney  and  Eleventh  streets,  and  was  afterwards  oc- 
cupied for  a  time  as  a  residence  by  Ezra  Millard,  who  still  owns  it» 
but   rents  it  to  other  parties  as  a  dwelling. 

The  description  of  that  ball  was  graphically  given  by  Dr.  Miller, 
in  the  Herald,  in  January,  1S67,  and  as  he  knows  all  about  those 
early  times,  we  have  taken  the  liberty  of  quoting  his  account  of  it 
nearly    in    full,   as   follows: 

"  I/.ard  was  a  stately  character  physically,  mentally  rather  weak, 
and  accordingly  felt  a  lively  sense  of  the  dignity  with  which  the 
appointment  clothed  him.  He  had  never  known  such  an  honor  be- 
fore, and  it  bore  upon  him  heavily.  To  the  few  persons  who  then 
constituted  the  principal  population  of  the  city,  the  Governor  was 
careful   to   intimate    a  desire  to  have   his    gubernatorial   advent   suitably 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  73 

celebrated.  The  facetious  and  wary  Cuming  suggested  the  idea  of 
giving  Izard  an  executive  ball.  The  larger  of  the  two  rooms  which 
then  constituted  the  building  was  the  theatre  of  a  scene  perhaps  the 
most  ludicrous  that  was  ever  witnessed  in  the  history  of  public  re- 
ceptions. The  rooms  had  a  single  coat  of  what  was  then  called 
plastering,  composed  of  a  frozen  mixture  of  mud  and  ice,  a  very  thin 
coating  at  that.  The  floor  was  rough  and  unplaned,  very  trying  to 
dancers,  and  not  altogether  safe  for  those  who  preferred  the  upright 
position.  It  had  been  energetically  scrubbed  for  the  occasion.  The 
night  being  dreadfully  cold  and  the  heating  apparatus  failing  to  warm 
the  room,  the  water  froze  upon  the  floor  and  could  not  be  melted 
by  any  then  known  process.  Rough  cotton-wood  boards  on  either 
side  of  the  room  were  substitutes  for  chairs. 

"  The  hour  of  seven  having  arrived,  the  grand  company  began  to 
assemble.  Long  before  the  appointed  hour  His  Arkansas  Excellency 
appeared  in  the  dancing  hall.  He  and  Jim  Orton,  'The  Band,'  of 
Council  Bluffs,  reached  the  scene  at  about  the  same  moment.  The 
Governor  was  very  polite  to  Jim,  who  was  just  tight  enough  to  be  cor- 
respondingly polite  to  the  Governor.  Gov.  Izard  was  the  guest  of 
nine  ladies  who  were  all  that  could  be  mustered  even  for  a  state  oc- 
casion »h  Omaha.  They  were  Mrs.  T.  B.  Cumings,  Mrs.  Fenner  Fer- 
guson, Mrs.  J.  Sterling  Morton,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Smith,  Mrs.  Fleming 
Davidson,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Hanscom,  Mrs.  A.  D.  Jones,  Mrs.  S.  E.  Rogers 
and  Mrs.  G.  L.  Miller.  Two  of  the  ladies  could  not  dance,  and  ac- 
cordingly their  places  were  supplied  by  the  same  number  of  gentle- 
men. The  Governor  had  a  son  by  the  name  of  James.  He  was  His 
Excellency's  private  secretary,  and  wishing  to  present  a  high  exam- 
ple of  style,  he  came  in  at  a  late  hour  escorting  Mrs.  Davidson.  His 
bearing  was  fearfully  stately  and  dignified.  He  wore  a  white  vest 
and  white  kids,  as  any  gentleman  would  do,  but  these  were  put  in 
rather  discordant  contrast  with  the  surroundings.  Paddock,  Popple- 
5 


74 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  75 

ton,  Cuming,  Smith,  Morton,  Ferguson,  Goodwill,  Clancy,  Folsom, 
besides  a  large  assemblage  of  legislators  attended.  The  latter  crowd- 
ed around  gazing  with  astonishment  upon  the  large  number  of  ladies 
in   attendance. 

"Jim  Orton  was  the  solitary  fiddler,  occupying  one  corner  of  the 
room.  The  dance  opened.  It  was  a  gay  and  festive  occasion.  Not- 
withstanding the  energetic  use  of  green  cotton -wood,  the  floor  con- 
tinued icy.  During  the  dancing  several  accidents  happened.  One  lady, 
now  well  known  in  Nebraska,  fell  flat.  Others  did  likewise.  The 
supper  came  oft"  about  midnight  and  consisted  of  coffee  with  brown 
sugar  and  no  milk  ;  sandwiches  of  peculiar  size  ;  dried  apple  pie;  the 
sandwiches,  we  may  observe,  were  very  thick,  and  were  made  of  a 
singular    mixture    of    bread    of    radical    complexion    and    bacon. 

"  The  Governor,  having  long  lived  in  a  hot  climate,  stood  around 
shivering  in  the  cold,  but  buoyed  up  by  the  honors  thus  showered 
upon   him,   bore   himself  with  the  most  amiable  fortitude. 

"There  being  no  tables  in  those  days,  the  supper  was  passed  'round. 
At  the  proper  time,  the  Governor,  under  a  deep  sense  of  his  own 
consequence,  made  a  speech,  returning  his  thanks  for  the  high  honors 
done  him."  x 

Thus  does  Dr.  Miller  describe  the  first  and  last  executive  ball  that 
ever  took  place  in  Omaha  as  it  came  oft"  over  twenty-one  years  ago 
when  the  town   did    not  contain    a    dozen    ladies  all   told. 


76 


UISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


THE    FIRST    MURDER  TRIAL. 


DR.    C.    A.      HENRY      SHOOTS      HOLLISTER      AT      BELLEVUE HIS      TRIAL     AT 

OMAHA      BEFORE    JUSTICE     FERGUSON — O.     P.     MASON     PITCHES     INTO 

JUDGE      FERGUSON       FOR      HIS      HARSHNESS     TO      THE       PRISONER AN 

ACCOMODATING     SHERIFF — HENRY     IS    FINALLY     DISCHARGED. 

rN   the   afternoon    of  the    20th    of    April,    1S55,    a    mes- 
senger came  up  to  Omaha    from  Bellevue  with  a  message 
from  Judge    Ferguson    to   Gov.     Izard,    requesting   him    to 
send   down   Gen.   Estabrook,   the  Territorial  Attorney,  and 
Sheriff   P.    G.    Peterson,   to  investigate   a  murder. 

Gen.  Estabrook,  Sheriff  Peterson,  B.  P.  Rankin,  and 
Joe  Strickland,  one  of  the  printers  of  the  Nebraskian, 
arrived  at  Bellevue,  on  horseback,  at  midnight,  and  there  learned 
that  Dr.  Charles  A.  Henry  had  shot  and  killed  a  young  man  named 
George  Hollister,  who  was  in  the  employ  of  Col.  Sarpy.  Henry  was 
imprisoned  in  the  Indian  blacksmith  shop,  where  he  was  safely 
guarded   from     the   men  who    had    threatened    to  lynch  him. 

Henry  was  a  cool,  shrewd  fellow,  and  a  town  lot  speculator  ;  and 
the  fatal  affray  had  arisen  out  of  a  difficulty  about  a  boundary  line. 
Next  morning  Rankin  called,  by  request,  on  Henry,  and  in  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  came  out  laughing.  In  reply  to  an  inquiry,. 
Rankin  said  he  was  laughing  at  the  force  of  habit  as  displayed  in 
Henry's  case.     Rankin   had    found   him   studying  a    map  of  Iowa,    and 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  77 


he  had    asked   Rankin    if   he  didn't    think   that  such    and   such   a    spot 
was  a  good   place  to  lay  out  a  town. 

The  coroner's  jury  acted  under  the  laws  ot  Iowa,  as  no  laws  cov- 
ering the  case  had  yet  been  passed  by  Nebraska.  Henry  was  held 
for  examination,  which  took  place  before  Judge  Ferguson,  who  com- 
mitted him  to  imprisonment,  with  shackles  and  handcuffs,  and  also 
ordering  that  he  should  be  chained  to  the  floor.  Sheriff  Pet- 
erson took  charge  of  the  prisoner,  and  carried  out  the  order  of  the 
Court.  Henry  was  confined  in  Peterson's  own  house,  a  small  one- 
story  frame  structure,  which  then  stood  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Farnham  and  Tenth  streets.  Peterson  lived  in  the  rear  part  and  rent- 
ed the  front  portion  of  it  for  a  saloon  and  gambling  hell,  which  was 
well  patronized.  This  was  the  fifth  house  erected  in  Omaha,  and  is 
standing  yet,  but  on  a  different  location,  having  been  moved  from  the 
corner  south   on  Tenth   street,   next  to  the   present  City   Hotel.* 

At  the  first  term  of  the  United  States  District  Court  held  in 
the  Territory  a  grand  jury  was  specially  called  for  this  case.  In 
the  meantime  a  local  U.  S.  attorney  had  been  appointed,  and  there- 
upon Gen.  Estabrook  abandoned  the  suit.  The  grand  jury  failed  to 
indict  Henry.  Judge  Ferguson  instead  of  discharging  him,  said  as  he 
had  examined  the  case  himself,  he  was  satisfied  that  the  murder  had 
been  committed  and  he  should  re-commit  the  prisoner  with  the  same 
order— shackles  and  handcuffs  ;  and  at  the  same  time  order  a  new 
jury   to    be   called. 

A.  J.  Poppleton  and  O.  P.  Mason  were  the  attorneys  for  Henry. 
This  was  the  first  public  appearance  of  O.  P.  Mason  in  Nebraska.  He 
had  known  Henry  in  Ohio,  and  he  felt  that  the  treatment  that  Henry 
was  receiving  at  the  hands  of  the  Court  was  an  unwarranted  out- 
rage.    Mason  was   then  a  seedy   looking  individual,  weighing  about   130 

o  See  page  37,  and  also  the  chapter  on  "  Old  Landmarks,  and  Incidents  connected 
therewith." 


7S  II  IS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

pounds  ;  but  his  appearance  was  no  criterion  of  his  ability.  He  ad- 
dressed the  Court  on  the  subject  of  the  order  as  to  the  shackles  and 
handcuffs,  and  the  chaining  of  the  prisoner  to  the  floor,  in  terms  of 
the  most  terrible  and  withering  invective  that  ever  proceeded  from 
the  mouth  of  a  lawyer.  Instead  of  committing  him  for  contempt, 
the  Judge  yielded   to   him   and    modified    the    order. 

About  that  time  a  flotilla  of  steamboats,  one  of  which  was  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Wilcox,  now  of  the  dry-goods  firm  of  Stephens 
&  Wilcox,  came  up  the  river  with  a  lot  of  government  troops  on 
board  for  Ft.  Pierre.  The  cholera,  which  was  then  raging  through- 
out the  country,  had  broken  out  among  the  soldiers,  one  of  whom 
had  already  died.  The  surgeon  was  in  a  boat  below,  and  everybody 
asked  for  a  doctor.  Dr.  Miller  was  selected  to  attend  the  cases, 
and  taking  his  wife  along  with  him,  he  proceeded  up  the  river  with 
the  troops,  and  was  absent  all  summer.  The  house  then  occupied 
bv  him,  which  yet  stands  on  Dodge  street,  just  back  of  the  Jones 
House,  was  turned  over,  all  furnished,  until  he  should  return,  to 
Gen.   Estabrook's   family,    who   had  just   arrived. 

The  departure  of  Dr.  Miller  proved  a  fortunate  circumstance  for 
Henry,  who  was  himself  a  physician,  and  during  the  absence  of 
Miller  he  was  the  only  doctor  in  Omaha.  The  accommodating 
sheriff,  Mr.  Peterson,  accompanied  him  in  his  professional  visits. 
Dr.  Henry,  with  his  shackles  on,  thus  made  many  warm  friends, 
and  the  consequence  was  that  the  next  grand  jury  did  not  indict 
him.  This  ended  the  case,  which  was  the  first  regular  murder  trial 
in    Nebraska. 

Dr.  Henry  afterwards  became  a  very  active  and  enterprising 
citizen  of  Omaha.  In  the  summer  of  1S56  he  built  the  first  portion 
of  Pioneer  Block,  which  was  then  called  Henry's  Block.  He  also 
built  in  company  with  another  man  the  building  in  which  the  first 
drug  store  was  located   and    run   bv    himself. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


79 


CHAPTER  XII. 


FIRST    ATTEMPT    TO    REMOVE   THE    CAPITAL. 


BELLEVUE       WANTS       THE      CAPITAL SARPY,      MORTON,       CUMING,      AND 

OTHERS     AT     THE     HEAD     OF     THE     FIRST    CAPITAL    REMOVAL     SCHEME 
—  A     PLOT      TO      SEND     GOV.      IZARD     TO     WASHINGTON,      SO     THAT     HE 

WOULD       NOT       INTERFERE A       SUCCESSFUL      COUNTERPLOT DEATH 

OF     DOYLE RANKIN     SUCCEEDS     HIM. 

T  the  second  session  of  the  legislature  during  the  win- 
ter of  1S55-56,  a  scheme  was  started  to  remove  the 
capital     to    Douglas     City,     as    it    was    called   on    paper, 

firm  the  objective  point  being  in  reality  Bellevue.  Gen. 
\^^ip9gy  Sarpy,  J.  Sterling  Morton,  Secretary  Cuming,  and  a 
host  of  South  Platte  men,  all  of  whom  were  hostile 
to  Omaha,  were  interested  in  the  project,  to  which 
they  had  committed  nearly  every  man  in  the  Territory  outside  of 
Omaha,  and  they  were  accordingly  sanguine  of  success.  However,  to 
make  it  more  sure,  they  thought  it  necessary  to  get  Gov.  Izard  out 
of  the  way,  so  that  Secretary  Cuming,  as  Acting-Governor  in  his  ab- 
sence, could  sign  the  bill.  To  accomplish  their  design  on  Izard  they 
resorted  to  a  little  strategy.  The  capital  removers  had  up  to  this 
time  greatly  abused  the  Governor,  and  had  frequently  called  him 
"granny"  or  "grandmother  Izard."  They  changed  their  tactics  now, 
and  J.  Sterling  Morton  and  other  members  of  the  legislature  intro- 
duced some  xery  complimentaay  resolutions  concerning  him  with  the 
view     of    thus     inducing     him     to     go    on   a    mission    to   Washington  to 


So  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

procure  some  appropriation  or  attend  to  some  other  kind  of  busi- 
ness. These  resolutions  greatly  pleased  His  Excellency,  and  he  prom- 
ised to  visit  Washington  if  they  were  passed,  he  being  entirely 
ignorant   of  the    plot   at  the  time. 

Dr.  Miller,  who  wa*  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  faithful  to 
Omaha's  interest,  had  been  posted  in  regard  to  the  whole  business. 
He  got  up  and  pitched  into  those  resolutions  in  a  vigorous  manner, 
causing  considerable  commotion  thereby.  Izard  was  somewhat  dis- 
turbed by  Miller's  remarks,  which  did  not  fully  reveal  the  object  of 
the  resolution,  and  in  a  whisper  that  was  heard  all  over  the  house, 
he  said,  to  a  certain  prominent  citizen  of  Omaha  in  order  to  have 
him  go  to  Dr.  Miller  to  ask  him  to  desist,  "  For  God's  sake  let  that 
pass.      It's    a   good    endorsement    for  me." 

Izard  was  called  out  into  the  hall,  where  he  talked  Ihe  matter 
over  with  the  gentleman  mentioned  above,  and  it  was  then  that  Izard 
first  learned  of  the  soft  soap  game  that  was  being  played  on  him. 
It  was  then  agreed  that  the  resolutions  should  be  allowed  to  pass, 
but  that   Izard    should   not   go    to    Washington. 

The  resolutions  were  passed,  and  Gov.  Izard  remained  at  Omaha 
according  to  promise.  This  defeated  this  scheme.  But  the  whole 
winter  was  spent  in  attempts  to  remove  the  capital  to  some  point,  it 
didn't  make  much  difference  where,  if  it  could  only  be  taken  from 
Omaha.  But  Izard  stayed  right  here,  thus  preventing  the  carry- 
ing out  of  the  plans ;  and  Cuming  finally  agreed  not  to  have  any- 
thing further    to    do    with    the  various    schemes. 

It  was  during  this  the  second  session  of  the  legislature  that  Leavitt 
L.  Bowen  was  one  of  the  representatives  of  Douglas  county,  and  his 
seat  was  contested  by  Silas  A.  Strickland  on  the  ground  that  he 
lived  at  Council  Bluffs,  being  in  fact  a  partner  of  lawyer  A.  C. 
Foid,  who  was  afterwards  killed  by  the  vigilantes  out  in  Colorado. 
Gen.   Estabrook   was   attorney  for  Strickland    in   the   contest,    which    re- 


HIS  TOR  I'    OF    OMAHA.  Si 

suited  in  favor  of  Bowen.  It  was  while  Gen.  Estabrook  was  making 
the  closing  argument  in  the  evening  that  it  was  announced  that 
United  States  Marshal  Eli  R.  Doyle,  who  had  succeeded  Izard,  had 
fallen  down  stairs  in  the  Western  Exchange  building,  receiving  fatal 
injuries,  and  dying  in  a  few  minutes  afterwards.  Benjamin  P.  Rankin 
was  the  successor  of  Doyle,  and  held  the  office  of  marshal  for  four 
years,  residing  in    Nebraska    till   1S61. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


THE    SECOND    CAPITAL  REMOVAL  SCHEME. 


bad    outlook    for     omaha two-thirds    of    the    legislature 

pledged    against     her m'comas    commands    the   capital   re- 
moval  brigade the    mythical    douglas    city the    members 

of  the   legislature  bought   up   with  its  stock — an  expose — 
omaha's   tactics    to    gain    time — hanscom   and    seeley   talk 

the   legislature   nearly   to    death the  attempted   arrest 

of    hanscom "  granny"    izard    gives    the   legislature  some 

advice — a  very   scared  man the   passage  of  the   bill   pre- 
VENTED. 

nS>»_n  l'RING  the  next  session  of  the  legislature,  in  the  win- 
\  ter  of  1S56-57,  the  capital  removers  again  came  up 
smiling  with  two-thirds  of  the  legislature  pledged 
against  Omaha,  so  that  they  could  suspend  the  rules 
and  pass  the  capital  removal  bill  over  the  Governor's 
veto.  They  proposed  to  send  the  capital  up  Salt 
Creek,  by  relocating  it  at  a  mythical  place  to  be 
called  Douglas  City,  which  was  to  be  located  about  where  Lincoln, 
the  present  capital,  was  afterwards  fixed.  This  scheme  was  princi- 
pally engineered  by  ex-Governor  McComas,  from  Virginia,  who  was 
a   very  sharp  wire-puller   and  manipulator    in    such    affairs. 

These  'fellows  had  their  new  town  site  all  laid  out  into  shares, 
which  they  had  issued  to  the  members,  who  had  their  pockets 
lined    with   the    scrip.      Nearly    everybody   had     been     seen    and  sweet- 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  S3 

ened  with  this  scrip,  and  it  is  said  that  even  some  of  Omaha's  own 
men  accepted  some   of  it. 

Jones,  of  Dakota  county,  had  a  fist  full  01  it,  and  told 
Hanscom  about  it,  who  at  the  proper  time  persuaded  him  to  expose 
the  whole  business.  Jones  walked  into  the  legislative  halls  and  told 
his  little  story,  showing  up  his  scrip,  which  he  said  he  had  taken  to 
use  as  evidence  of  the  exposure  he  had  made.  A  very  great  excite- 
ment was  thus  created  for  a  short  time,  but  it  was  soon  forgotten  in 
the  tumult  of  the  subsequent  proceedings.  The  capital  removers 
elected  their  speaker,  Isaac  L.  Gibbs,  and  tried  to  ride  rouglirshod 
over  everybody,  but  eventually  failed.  Omaha  had  only  eight  votes 
out  ot  thirty-five  in  the  House.  This  number,  however,  was  in- 
creased by  one  vote,  which  was  secured  from  Dodge  county  ;  but  at 
no  time  did  Omaha  have  enough  votes  to  prevent  a  suspension  of 
the  rules.  Gibbs,  the  speaker,  paid  no  regard  whatever  to  parlia- 
mentary laws,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  it  was  a  very  rough  legislature 
in  every  sense  of  the  word.  The  enemies  of  Omaha  were  determined 
to  pass  the  capital  removal  bill,  and  Omaha  was  equally  as  deter- 
mined to  prevent  it,  as  everything  was  at  stake  with  the  citizens  of 
the    place 

To  gain  time  was  the  main  object  Omaha  had  in  view,  and  to 
do  it  they  "  talked  against-  time"  on  every  possible  occasion,  consum- 
ing several  days  in  trivial  arguments.  Jonas  Seeley  and  A.  J. 
Hanscom  did  most  of  the  talking.  Hanscom  had  control  of  the 
campaign   for  the    defense,    and  arranged    nearly    all    the  tactics. 

A  man  named  Brown,  from  Plattsmouth,  was  chief  clerk,  and  as 
the  Omaha  men  didn't  like  him  very  well,  and  wanted  to  oust  him, 
they  took  occasion  to  kill  time  by  taking  up  his  journal  every  morn- 
ing,  whether  it  was  right  or  wrong,  and  literally  picking  it  to  pieces 
on  the  slightest  pretenses,  it  thus  frequently  happened  that  half  a 
day   or   more     was    consumed    in   correcting    the    journal.       Brown     was 


84  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

afterwards    forced  to   stopped  down   and  out,   and    Sterritt    M.    Curran, 
of  Omaha,   stepped   up  and    in. 

Gen.  Strickland,  now  a  resident  of  Omaha,  but  then  of  Bellevue, 
was  a  recognized  leader  and  champion  of  the  South  Platte  folks, 
and  whenever  he  would  move  anything  to  bring  on  a  direct  fight 
Hanscom  would  make  some  dilatory  motion — to  lay  on  the  table, 
to  postpone  to  a  certain  day,  or  indefinitely  postpone — thus  consum- 
ing  time,  all    of  which   was   a    part   of  the  tactics. 

It  was  a  very  stormy  session  all  the  way  through.  At  one  time 
the  speaker  ordered  the  sergeant-at-arms  to  arrest  Hanscom,  who 
bluffed  him  oft"  by  saying,  "Come  no  further.  You  are  safer  there 
than  you  will  be  if  you  come  any  nearer."  The  officer  evidently  saw 
that  he  meant  what  he  said,  and  the  arrest  was  not  made.  After 
the  intense  excitement  that  was  caused  by  Hanscom's  bluft"  had  some 
what  subsided,  the  champions  of  Omaha  availed  themselves  of  every 
opportunity  to  pitch  into  the  speaker,  until  they  actually  made  it  so 
warm  for  him  that  he  dared  not  occupy  the  chair.  They  made  him 
sick :  at  least  he  pretended  to  be  sick,  and  Strickland  was  ap- 
pointed by  him  to  fill  the  chair  in  his  absence.  The  question 
then  arose  whether  he  could  appoint  him  from  day  to  day,  or 
for  a  longer*  period,  and  a  whole  day  was  thus  consumed  in 
argument. 

The  South  Platte  party  asked  the  Governor  to  call  out  300 
militia  to  protect  them  from  the  Omaha  crowd,  which  was  com- 
posed of  eight  men.  The  next  morning  Gov.  Izard,  whom  they  had 
called  "grandmother,"  assembled  both  branches  of  the  legislature 
together  and  made  them  a  speech.  It  was  short  and  pointed. 
Said  he  :  "  Gentlemen,  it  is  entirely  unnecessary  for  me  to  call  out 
the  militia.  Go  on  and  attend  to  your  legislative  business.  Behave 
yourselves,    and  your  grandmother    will   protect   you." 

Every    eft'ert    was    made    to     induce    members    of  the    opposition   to 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


flop  over  in  favor  of  Omaha,  but  they  were  all  avaricious,  and  a 
sum    total   of  $20,000   was   demanded   for    votes. 

One  man,  hailing  from  a  South  Platte  county,  was  so  scared 
and  apprehensive  of  the  results  of  the  excitement  and  turbulence  that 
prevailed,  that  he  wished  to  go  home  and  tell  his  friends  that  he 
was  really  afraid  of  his  life.  But  he  wanted  from  Omaha  $5,000  as 
as  a  compensation  for  his  absence.  "We  have  not  got  any  money 
to  give  to  men  to  pay  them  to  go  home  and  slander  us,"  said  one 
of  Omaha's  leaders,  who  did'nt  think  his  being  afraid  of  his  life  was 
a  very  good  recommendation  for  the  city.  Of  course  he  did'nt  get 
a    cent,   and    he  soon    got   over  his  scare. 

However,  enough  votes  were  secured — but  exactly  how,  this  historian 
is  not  aware — for  Omaha  to  prevent  ths  passage  of  the  bill  over  the 
Governor's    veto,    which   virtually    defeated    the    enemy. 

Parties  from  the  South  Platte  country  had  come  here  resolved  to 
'•bust  up"  Omaha,  and  even  tiied  to  divide  Douglas  county  and  re- 
move her  county  seat  to  Florence.  Omaha  had  her  hand  full  and 
running  over  with  fights,  and  she  had  nothing  else  to  do  that  winter 
but  to  act    on    the   defensive. 

The  South  Platters  tried  for  a  while  to  tire  out  the  Omaha 
-quad  by  holding  night  sessions,  but  finally  an  Omaha  man  "satis- 
fied" several  parties  that  they  were  doing  wrong,  and  they  came  over 
and  voted  with  Omaha.  That  ended  the  capital  removal  business 
for  that  session,  more  than  one  half  of  which  was  taken  up  by  this 
fight.      The    resf    of  the  session   passed   oft"  quietly. 

Just  before  the  final  vote  was  taken  on  the  capital  removal  bill, 
Seeley,  of  Dodge  county,  was  turned  out  of  his  seat  for  having  pre- 
viously   voted    for  Omaha. 


86 


1USTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE   LAST  ROUND  IN  THE  CAPITAL  REMOVAL  FIGHT. 


the  schemers  come  up  smiling  again — hanscom  appealed  to, 
to  champion  omaha's  cause — hanscom  throws  the  speaker 
under  the  table  —  an  exciting  scene  —  black  eyes  and 
bloody  noses how  strickland  was  silenced the  legisla- 
ture   breaks    up    in    a    row,    and    adjourns    to    florence 

arrival   of   gov.    richardson,    the    successor   of    izard the 

capitol   building — the   capital  finally   removed  to  lincoln 
in    1s67,   when   nebraska    was   admitted   as   a   state. 

HEN  the  next  session  of  the  legislature  convened  in 
the  winter  of  1857-58,  the  same  old  gang  of  capital 
removers  assembled  at  Omaha,  resolved  as  before  to 
make  a  desperate  effort  for  the  success  of  their  old 
scheme.  Hanscom,  who  was  not  a  member  of  the 
legislature,  except  as  a  lobbyist,  was  appealed  to  as 
usual  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  resist  the  attack  on 
Omaha,  whose  recognized  leader  he  had  become  in  such  important 
affairs.  The  matter  was  pretty  thoroughly  discussed  among  the  most 
prominent  citizens,  who  wanted  to  ascertain  whether  it  was  best  to 
pay  out  any  money,  as  usual,  to  retain  the  capital.  Some  of  the 
old  settlers  tell  it  that  Hanscom  said  that  he,  for  one,  had  been 
paying  out  money  long  enough,  and  that  now  he  proposed  to  "  whale  " 
somebody. 

Soon    afterwards   they     sent    for    Hanscom    and    told    him    that    the 
speaker,    named     Decker,   an     avowed    enemy   of    Omaha,    had   armed 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  87 

himself  with  a  revolver,  a  ad  that  his  party  were  likewise  prepared 
for   any   emergency  that   might  arise.     A    very  lively   row  soon  ensued. 

One  morning  the  house  went  into  committee  of  the  whole,  elect- 
ing as  chairman  Dr.  Thrall,  the  present  United  States  Marshal  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  who  is  a  cousin  to  Mr.  George  Thrall,  land- 
lord of  the  Grand  Central  Hotel  of  this  city.  Dr.  Thrall  thereupon 
at   once   stepped  up   and    fiilled    the    speaker's    chair. 

The  Omaha  men  immediately  resorted  to  their  old  tactics  of  talk- 
ing against  time,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  George  Clayes  kept  the  floor 
until  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  a  message  was  received  from 
the  clerk  of  the  council.  Under  the  joint  rules  of  the  legislature  no 
message  could  be  received  by  one  branch  when  the  other,  that  sent 
it,  was  not  in  session  at  the  time.  The  council  had  adjourned  and 
left  their  room.  When  the  clerk  of  the  council  appeared  in  the 
house  the  question  was  at  once  raised  whether  the  message  which 
he  bore  could  be  received.  Mr.  Decker,  the  speaker,  walked  up  to 
the  speaker's  stand,  with  the  intention  of  resuming  his  seat,  which 
Thrall  refused  to  let  him  have.  Decker  grabbed  for  the  gavel  in  Thrall's 
hand,  announcing  at  the  same  time  that  the  committee  of  the  whole 
would  rise  and  receive  the  message  from  the  council.  That  was  en- 
tirely out  of  order  as  it  was  known  that  the  council  was  not  in 
session. 

Hanscom,  under  the  usual  resolution  passed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
session  inviting  ex-members  of  the  legislature  within  the  bar,  had 
spent  pretty  much  all  of  his  time  there.  He  had  taken  a  seat  on 
the  step  near  the  speaker's  stand  to  quiet  any  difficulty  that  might 
arise,  or  to  take  a  hand  in  it  if  it  were  necessary.  When  Decker 
came  up  and  endeavored  to  snatch  the  gavel,  Hanscom  yelled  out 
to  Thrall,  "  Hit  the  rascal  over  the  head  with  the  gavel."  Decker 
was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  speaker's  stand,  and  was  attempting 
not  only   to  seize  the   gavel   but  to  push   Thrall   out  of  the  seat,  while 


88 


7/ IS TOR T    OF    OMAHA. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  S9 


Hanscom,  who  had  jumped  to  his  feet,  pulled  Thrall  back  again, 
and  thus  he  was  kept  going  back  and  forth  for  a  short  time  between 
Decker  and  Hanscom.  J.  W.  Paddock  and  Mike  Murphy,  who 
were  both  members  of  the  legislature,  jumped  up  to  prevent  Decker 
from  further  interfering  with  Thrall.  Paddock  got  hold  of  Decker's 
hand  and  pulled  him  down  from  the  stand,  and-  while  they  were 
scuffling,  Hanscom  sprang  forward  and  grabbing  him  by  the  back  of 
the  neck  and  the  seat  of  the  pantaloons  laid  him  away  or  rather 
threw  him  under  the  table,  so  that  Paddock  and  Murphy  would  not 
hurt  him.  It  was  indeed  a  very  kind  and  considerate  act.  This 
historian  has  been  reliably  informed  that  it  was  in  no  gentle  manner 
that  Decker  was  "  chucked "  under  the  table.  About  fifty  persons 
sprang  to  their  feet.  All  was  excitement  and  uproar,  and  when  it 
gradually  subsided  it  was  found  that  several  persons  had  been  badly 
licked.  Bloody  noses  and  black  eyes  were  too  numerous  to  mention. 
It   was  hard  to  tell  which    were  in  the  majority — the  ayes  or  the  noes. 

The  Omaha  men  thus  gained  possession  of  the  field,  and  as  soon 
as  the  fuss  was  over,  and  the  speaker  was  out  of  the  chair,  the 
enemy  was  cleaned   out   in   every   other  way. 

Judge  Kinney,  of  Nebraska  City,  who  was  opposed  to  Omaha, 
was  called  on  for  a  speech.  He  mounted  one  of  the  desks 
and  began  to  talk.  Thrall  was  told  by  Hanscom  to  call  him  to 
order,  as    Kinney    was    not  a    member. 

Strickland  jumped  up  on  one  of  the  tables  and  sang  out,  •'  I  have 
the   right    to    talk,    I  am    a    member.'' 

Thrall    ordered   him    to  sit    down,   but    he   would   not    do   it. 

Hanscom   told    him    if  he   did'nt,    he    would    knock    him    down. 

"Well,"  said  Strickland,  cooling  oft"  a  little,  "I  guess  I  can  go 
out  of  doors  and  talk."  As  there  was  no  objection  made  to  that, 
that  ended   the   fuss  for   that  day. 

The    legislature    met    next    morning,    ami    instead    of  passing  a    ioint 


go  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

resolution  to  remove  to  another  point,  each  house  passed  a  resolu- 
tion adjourn  in;;  to  Florence,  thus  virtually  breaking  up  in  a  row.  Dr. 
Miller  was  president  of  the  council,  and  refused  to  put  the  motion  to 
adjourn  to  Florence.  The  gentleman  from  Otoe  who  made  the  mo- 
tion, put  it  himself  and  declared  it  carried,  whereupon  the  council 
adjourned.  In  the  house  a  similar  resolution  was  carried  unanimously, 
the  Omaha  men  not  voting.  To  Florence  they  went,  but  their  action 
did  not  amount  to  anything.  They  were  not  recognized  as  a  legis- 
lature by  the  Governor,  and  they  did  not  get  any  pay  for  the  time 
that  they    spent  at   Florence. 

This  legislature,  as  well  as  its  predecessors,  reminds  one  very 
much  of  the  Douglas  County  Republican  Conventions  of  late  years. 
The  engraving  accompanying  this  chapter — which,  by  the  way,  may 
be  called  a  very  "  striking  picture " — illustrates  very  faithfully  not 
onlv  this  particular  session  of  the  legislature,  but  also  the  three 
previous  sessions,  in  each  of  which  some  very  animated  and  boisterous 
brawls  and  tumultuous  disturbances  occurred.  A  knock-down  was 
no  unusual  thing,  as  the  war  of  words  generally  resulted  in  a  set-to 
at  fisticuffs.  The  persuasive  revolver  also  played  an  important  part 
at  times  in  the  spirited  debate,  and  whenever  it  was  presented,  it 
generally  proved  a  very  convincing  argument,  for  the  time  being  at 
least. 

Gov.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  the  successor  of 
Gov.  Izard,  who  had  gone  back  to  Arkansas,  arrived  at  Omaha 
shortly  after  the  legislature  broke  up  and  went  to  Florence.  He  re- 
mained here  till  February,  1859.  The  next  governor  was  Gov. 
Black,  of  Nebraska  City,  originally  from  Pennsylvania,  who  had 
been  promoted  from  a  judgeship.  Gov.  Saunders,  appointed  by 
President  Lincoln,    succeeded    Black,   coming   here    in    1861    from    Iowa. 

This  (the  fourth)  session  of  the  legislature  was  held  in  the 
Territorial    Capitol,    an    illustration    of     which    is    herewith    presented. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


91 


THE    OLD    TERRITORIAL    CAPITOL. 


The  engraving,  how- 
ever, does  not  do  justice 
to  the  building,  as  it  was 
made  from  a  photograph 
taken  after  the  colonnade, 
which  surrounded  it,  had 
been  torn  down,  having 
been  pronounced  unsafe. 
When  the  columns  were 
standing  it  is  said  that 
the  structure  presented  a 
verv  handsome  appear- 
ance, excelled  by  but 
verv  few  other  build- 
ings in  the  country  at  that  time.  It  stood  on  Capitol  Hill  on 
the  spot  now  covered  by  the  High  School  building.  It  was  erected 
by  Bov'ey  &  Armstrong.  George  C.  Bovey  was  a  practical  builder, 
and  Major  Armstrong  was  the  monied  man  of  the  firm  as  well  as 
the  superintendent.  The  contract  was  made  the  29th  of  November, 
1855,  the  time  of  completing  the  structure  being  the  15th  of  Septem- 
ber, 18^6.  It  was  not  finished,  however,  till  some  time  in  1857. 
Thev  employed  150  men  and  horses  in  their  brick-yard  while  erect- 
ing this  and  other  buildings.  The  cost  of  the  capitol  was  $100,000. 
The  capital  removal  question  was  never  again  agitated  after  185S, 
to  any   great   extent,    until   Nebraska   became   a   State    in    1S67. 

Congress  passed  the  enabling  act  for  the  admission  of  Nebraska 
as  a  State  on  the  21st  of  March,  1S64.  Under  that  act  the  electors 
of  the  Territory  held  an  election  and  adopted  a  State  constitution, 
at  the  same  time  electing  State  officers  under  that  constitution, 
which  prohibited    the   right  of  suffrage    to   the    negroes. 

Congress  afterwards   passed  another  act   to   the  effect    that   Nebraska 


9;  1IISTOR2'    OF    OMAHA. 

could  onlv  be  admitted  by  a  change  of  her  constitution  so  that  the 
right  of  suffrage  should  not  ever  be  denied  to  any  man  on  account 
of  race,    color,    or    previous   condition    of  servitude. 

It  was  under  this  revised  constitution  that  Nebraska  came  into  the 
Union  as  a  State  in  1867.  It  was  provided  in  the  constitution  that 
the  first  State  legislature  could  locate  the  seat  of  government.  Gov. 
Butler,  the  first  elected  governor,  called  the  first  State  legislature 
hv  proclamation  to  meet  at  Omaha  on  the  16th  day  of  May,  1867. 
At  that  session  the  capital  was  removed  to  Lincoln  without  any 
opposition  from  the  citizens  of  Omaha.  The  railroads  were  center- 
ing here  then,  and  it  was  seen  that  Omaha's  prosperity  did  not  de- 
pend on  the  capital.  She  had  now  got  other  and  richer  resources. 
Flush  times  had  set  in  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  the  people  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  much  of  a  benefit  to  them 
after   all. 

Upon  the  removal  ot  the  capital  to  Lincoln  the  people  of  Omaha 
acquired  the  title  to  Capitol  Square,  as  it  had  been  donated  to  the 
State  for  legislative  purposes  only,  provided  that  it  should  revert  to 
the  donors  in  case  it  should  ever  be  used  for  any  other  object. 
The  legislature,  in  granting  Omaha's  petition,  donated  it  for  school 
purposes,  and  the  magnificent  structure  that  now  stands  thereon  and 
overlooks  the  city,  was  built  during  the  years  1870,  '71  and  '72, 
the   capitol    having   been    torn    down    to    make    room    for    it. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  93 


CHAPTER  XV. 


OMAHA    FROM    1S56   TO    1S60 


THE     GOOD     TIMES     OF     1856 INFLATION     OF      THE    CURRENCY — OMAHA 

LOOMS     UP A     SEVERE      WINTER OMAHA     GETS      A       CITY      CHARTER 

IN     FEBRUARY,      1857,      AND       PUTS     ON      METROPOLITAN       AIRS REAL 

ESTATE       BEGINS      TO      WEAKEN THE       GREAT      FINANCIAL       BREAK- 
DOWN  WILD-CAT      BANKS GENERAL       DEPRESSION CITY       SCRIP 

THE     PIKE'S     PEAK     EXCITEMENT     HELPS    THE      CITY — LIVELY     TIMES 
AGAIN. 

,URING  the  year  1856  there  was  an  inflation  ot  the 
currency  all  over  the  country,  fully  equal  to  that  im- 
mediately succeeding  the  close  of  the  civil  war  in  1S65 
and  1866.  Times  were  good  everywhere,  and  partic- 
ularlv  so  in  Omaha.  Everybody  considered  himself 
rich  or  likely  soon  to  be.  This  state  of  affairs  con- 
tinued all  through  1856.  Real  estate  sold  at  high 
pi  ices,  and  corner  lots  were  in  great  demand  at  almost  any  figures. 
Speculation  ran  wild  in  Omaha,  as  it  did  in  many  other  new  western 
towns  at  that  time,  and  everybody  dabbled  in  real  estate.  Money 
was  made  easily  and  quickly.  The  motto  was  "  quick  sales  and  big 
profits." 

Omaha  grew  rapidly  in  population,  and  a  large  number  of  build- 
ings   were   put  up    during    that  year. 

The  winter  of  1856-7  was  a  very  severe  one  and  has  ever  since 
been  considered  the  hardest  season  ever  experienced  in  Omaha.  The 
weather    was    fair    through    the    fall,    but    on    the    30th    of  November,    a 


„4  //IS  TO  in'    OF    OMAHA. 


snow-storm  commenced  and  continued  until  the  morning  of  the  3d 
of  December,  having  fallen  to  the  depth  of  three  feet  on  the  level. 
The  weather  was  exceedingly  cold  after  the  storm,  and  remained  so 
all  winter,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  days  in  February,  1857.  The 
snow  that  had  fallen  at  the  very  opening  of  winter  did  not  begin  to 
go  off  till    some  time    in    the    month    of  March. 

Omaha,  having  reached  a  population  of  from  1,500  to  i,Soo,  asked 
permission  of  the  legislature  to  put  on  city  clothes,  and  a  charter 
was  accordingly  granted  to  her  in  February,  the  first  election  occur- 
ring on  the  first  Monday  in  March,  1S57.  The  result  was  as  follows  : 
Jesse  Lowe,  mayor  ;  L.  R.  Tuttle,  recorder  ;  J.  A.  Miller,  city 
marshal;  Charles  Grant,  city  solicitor;  Lyman  Richardson,  city  as- 
sessor ;  A.  S.  Morgan,  city  engineer  ;  A.  Chappel,  health  officer  ;  A. 
D.  Jones,  T.  G.  Goodwill,  G.  C.  Bovey,  H.  H.  Visscher,  Thomas 
Davis,  Wm.  N.  Byers,  Wm.  W.  Wyman,  Thomas  O'Connor,  C. 
H.  Downs,  J.  H.  Kellom,  James  Creighton,  councilmen.  The  Council 
met  and  organized  on  the  5th  of  March,  and  the  first  ordinance 
passed  was  "  to  prevent  swine  from  running  at  large."  The  first 
warrant  was  issued  to  secretary  Thomas  B.  Cuming  for  books  and 
stationery    furnished   to    the  council. 

In  May,  1S57 ,  an  ordinance  was  passed  dividing  the  city  into 
three  wards,  as  follows  :  1st  ward — all  that  part  of  the  city  lying 
south  of  Farnham  street  ;  2d — all  that  part  of  the  city  lying  between 
the  north  side  of  Farnham  street  and  the  south  side  of  Capitol 
avenue  ;-3d — all    that   part  of  the   city    north  of  Capitol   avenue.* 

The  spring  of  1857  opened  auspiciously  for  Omaha  in  every  re- 
spect. Real  estate  was  held  at  as  fancy  figures  as  ever  and  was 
about  as  active  as  in  the  previous  year.  But  in  a  short  time, 
however,   real    estate   began     to   get    a    little    heavy    and     did    not    sell 

*  Omaha  became  "  a  city  of  the  first-class  "  by  legislative  enactment  February  yth,  1869. 
The  city  was  divided  into  six  wards,  by  ordinance,  May  15,  1869. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


95 


quite  as  readily.  But  there  was  more  building  during  the  spring 
and  early  summer  of  1S57  than  in  any  previous  year  since  the 
founding  of  the  city.  A  large  number  of  good  houses  were  erected, 
which    are    still    standing. 

The  ever  memorable  financial  break-down  of  that  year  commenced 
with  the  suspension  of  the  Ohio  Trust  Company,  which  was  followed 
by  the  failure  of  the  Illinois  banks  and  others  all  over  the  West. 
There  were  numerous  "  wild-cat "  banks  in  the  territory  of  Nebraska 
at  that  time,  as  there  were  elsewhere  in  the  new  West.  Two  or 
three  of  these  banks  were  located  at  Omaha,  and  one  or  more  at 
every  little  village  through  the  river  counties.  The  bank  that  did 
the  largest  business  in  Omaha  and  Nebraska  was  the  Western  Ex- 
change Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company.  L.  R.  Tuttle  was  the 
cashier,  and  A.  U.  Wyman,  afterwards  cashier  of  the  Omaha 
National  Bank,  but  now  the  treasurer  of  the  United  States,  was 
the  teller.  Mr.  Wyman  has  risen  by  his  own  exertions,  step  by 
step,  to  his  present  position,  which  is  one  of  the  highest  and 
most  responsible  offices  in  the  United  States.  The  people  of  Omaha 
feel  proud  of  his  success,  as  he  was  "an  old  Omaha  boy."  His 
father  was  the  late  W.  W.  Wyman,  one  of  the  old  settlers  here, 
who,  during  his  residence  in  Omaha,  was  one  of  her  most  prom- 
inent citizens.  Mrs.  Wyman,  his  widow,  and  mother  of  Mr.  A.  U. 
Wyman,    is    still    a    resident    of  Omaha. 

The  Bank  of  Nebraska,  Samuel  Moffat,  cashier,  was  also  located 
at    Omaha. 

The  Western  Exchange  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company  failed 
in  October,  1S57,  and  nearly  all  the  other  banks  in  the  Territory  fol- 
lowed suit.  Within  a  few  months  every  Nebraska  bank  had  closed  its 
doors,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three.  One  of  these  banks  that 
withstood  the  general  pressure  was  called  the  Bank  of  Dakotah 
and     was      operated      by     Augustus     Kountze,     who      is     one      of    the 


96  HISTORV    OF    OMAHA. 

Kountze  Bros.,  who  now  rank  among  the  most  prominent  bankers 
in  the  country,  doing  business  in  New  York,  Omaha  and  Denver. 
This  bank  redeemed  its  entire  circulation  at  par,  which  was  consid- 
ered  quite    a    noteworthy    circumstance   at    that    time. 

Of  course  the  bursting  of  the  speculative  bubbles  temporarily 
checked  the  rapid  advancement  that  was  being  made  by  Omaha,  and 
men  who  had  been  flush  soon  found  themselves  financially  distressed. 
Business  dragged  heavily,  the  bottom  was  knocked  out  of  real  estate, 
and  a  general  spirit  of  depression  and  despondency  prevailed.  It 
was   so   everywhere. 

During  the  summer  of  this  year  the  city  of  Omaha  issued  $50,000 
in  city  scrip  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  capitol,  and  when 
that  amount  was  exhausted  another  $50,000  was  issued,  making 
$100,000  in  all.  This  scrip  passed  current  at  par  during  the  time 
it  was  being  issued,  and  until  the  capitol  building  was  enclosed  and 
a  few  rooms  were  made  ready  for  occupancy.  After  that  this  scrip 
gradually  fell  until  the  discount  was  greater  than  the  sum  for  which 
it  would  pass.  A  large  amount  of  this  scrip  was  either  lost  or  vir- 
tually repudiated  ;  at  least  it  was  never  redeemed  except  in  the 
payment   of  taxes,    for    which    some   of  it    was   used. 

The  financial  depression  continued  through  1S58,  and  in  a  still 
greater  degree  than  ever.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  population  of  the  city 
decreased  during  185S  and  1859,  when  it  is  said  to  have  contained 
4,000  people,  and  that  it  did  not  begin  to  increase  again  until  i860 
and    1861. 

The  rich  gold  discoveries  in  Colorado  now  gave  a  stimulus  to 
western  travel,  from  which  Omaha  derived  a  substantial  benefit  from 
the  time  it  began  till  it  ceased,  and  it  was  this  that  gave  her  another 
start. 

It  was  in  1S5S  that  the  first  discovery  of  gold  in  Colorado  was 
made    by    a   small    party    of   men    on    a    stream    which     is     now   called 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  97 


Cherrv  Creek,  at  a  point  where  Denver  was  afterwards  located. 
During  the  summer  of  1S5S  there  was  considerable  emigration  to 
that  region,  and  when  enough  men  had  gathered  together  they  laid 
out  a  town  and  called  it  Auraria.  Afterwards  a  town  was  built  up 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  and  called  Denver,  in  honor  of 
the   then   Governor   of  Kansas 

In  the  spring  of  1859  the  emigration  to  Colorado  greatly  in- 
creased, and  a  large  share  of  the  travel  and  trade  to  and  from  the 
gold  regions  passed  through  Omaha,  which  gave  a  decidedly  hopeful 
and  cheerful  turn  to  affairs.  Business  began  looking  up  at  once, 
4nd  Omaha  soon  became  an  important  outfitting  and  starting  point. 
Hundreds  of  wagons  arrived  at  Omaha  from  the  East  every  day,  and 
after  taking  a  rest  here  for  a  short  time  to  replenish  their  supplies  and 
outfit  in  good  shape,  they  would  resume  their  journey,  with  the  words 
"Pike's  Peak  or  bu^-t"  painted  on  their  white  wagon  covers.  Omaha 
merchants  kept  their  stores  open  night  and  day,  and  every  day  in  the 
week,  Sundays  not  excepted,  being  determined  to  make  hay  while  the 
sun  shone.  Those  were  busy  times,  and  our  merchants  coined  money 
right  along.  This  Colorado  emigration  lasted  till  1S64,  and  Omaha 
was   greatly  benefited    thereby. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1859  that  William  N.  Byers,  having  se- 
cured a  printing  office,  a  wagon  and  teams,  left  Omaha  for  Denver. 
On  the  side  of  his  wagon  he  had  painted  the  name  of  his  contem- 
plated newspaper,  "The  Rocky  Mountain  News,"  which  he  established 
at  Denver.  It  has  been  the  leading  newspaper  of  Colorado  from  that 
time   to  this. 


98 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


THE  DOINGS  OF  THE  CLAIM  CLUB. 


SQUATTER    TITLES THE     FIRST      NEBRASKA     CLAIM     MEETING PASSAGE 

OK    LAWS OMAHA     CLAIM     CLUB ARBITRARY      AND    OPRESSIVE    PRO- 
CEEDINGS  THE     CASE      OF      DOC.    SMITH GRAND     MASS      MEETING    OF 

THE     CLUB — RESOLUTIONS — JACOB      SHULL      DRIVEN     OFF     HIS     CLAIM 

AND     HIS     BUILDINGS     BURNED AN     OBSTINATE     IRISHMAN     DUCKED 

IN     THE      RIVER     THROUGH     THE    ICE ILLUSTRATION SENTENCE     OF 

DEATH    PASSED    UPON     ZIEGLER,    WHO    SAVES    HIS    LIFE     BY    YIELDING 

TO    THE    DEMANDS    OF    THE    CLUB MURPHY'S  STORY A  MAN    STRUNG 

IP     TO     A      TREE,     AND     AFTERWARDS     STARVED     INTO     SUBMISSION 

DISSOLUTION    OF    THE    CLAIM    CLUBS FIRST    ENTRY    AND    FIRST    PUB- 
LIC    SALE     OF     LAND,     ETC. 


njIIE   early   settlers   of  Omaha    had    no   valid    title   to    their 


'^* 


lands    upon     which    they    had    located    or    had    staked 


out  their  claims.  The  title  was  still  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  the  land  not  then  having 
been  thrown  upon  the  market.  The  only  title  the  settlers 
had  was  what  they  called  the  "claim"  or  "squatter" 
title,  and  which  they  conveyed  to  each  other  by  quit 
claim  \leeds.  These  titles  were  generally  respected  by  everybody, 
and  especially  when  the  claimant  had  made  valuable  improvements 
on    the    land. 

The  "  claim  club "  was  one  of  the  first  institutions  established 
here.  It  was  gotten  up  by  the  settlers  as  a  sort  of  higher  law, 
and    also    for     the     purpose    of    giving     themselves    an     advantage   over 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  99 

those  who  came  here  afterwards.  It  soon  became  evident  to  them 
that  Omaha  would,  at  some  day,  become  a  large  and  prosperous 
city,  and  they  accordingly  undertook  to  secure  the  lion's  share  of 
the  plunder.  Under  the  laws  of  the  United  States  in  force  at  that 
time,  any  settler  could  take  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
and  by  staying  on  it,  he  was  in  no  danger  of  his  title  ever  being 
disputed,  though  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  wait  till  the  land  came 
into  mai-ket  before  he  could  acquire  a  full  and  valid  title.  The 
early  settlers  thought  the  limit  of  one  hundred  and  sixtv  acres  was  a 
little  slow  and  not  extensive  enough.  They  wanted  to  do  better  than 
that.  So  they  formed  themselves  into  a  "  Nebraska  Claim  Associa- 
tion," or,  as  it  was  soon  afterwards  better  known,  "  The  Omaha 
Claim  Club,"  comprising  all  settlers  in  Omaha  and  Douglas  county, 
which   then   included    Sarpy   county. 

A  "Nebraska  Claim  Meeting"  was  held  at  Omaha  on  the  lid 
day  of  July,  1S54,  almost  immediately  after  the  survey  of  the  town 
site  was  completed.  It  was  composed  of  a  respectable  number  ot 
the  claimants  of  the  public  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Omaha,  as  the 
first    number   of  the    Omaha    Arrozv,  July    2S,    informs    us. 

S.  Lewis  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  M.  C.  Gaylord  was  ap- 
pointed temporary  secretary.  A  complete  code  of  laws  was  enacted 
providing  for  the  manner  of  marking  claims,  and  that  no  person 
could  hold  more  than  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,*  but  that  it 
could  be  in  two  parcels.  No  person  could  hold  more  than  eighty 
acres   of  timber,   but   that  also   could    be   in    two   separate   parcels. 

Marking  the  claim  and  building  a  claim  pen  four  rounds  high 
in  a  conspicuous  place  would  hold  the  claim  for  thirty  days,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  a  house  had  to  be  built  thereon.  Transfers  of 
claims  were  to  be  made  by  quit  claim  deeds.  All  differences  were 
to    be    settled    by    arbitration. 

''See  Omaha   Arrow,   No.    1,    July   28,   1854. 


II I  STORY    OF    OMAHA. 


A  nor  the  passage  of  these  laws  the  association  proceeded  to  the 
election  of  its  officers,  as  provided  for  in  the  claim  code,  the  result 
being  as  follows:  A.  I").  Jones,  Judge;  S.  Lewis,  Clerk;  M.  C.  Gay- 
lord,  Recorder ;  R.  B.  Whitted,  Sheriff.  So  it  will  he  seen  that  A. 
D.  Jones  was  our  first  Judge,  and  fully  entitled  to  the  honorable  pre- 
fix, although  he  is  never  called  Judge  now.  New  officers  were  elected 
from  time  to  time,  and  these  laws  were  slightly  amended  at  different 
periods,  forming  the  model  for  similar  clubs  which  were  organized 
all    throughout    the   territory. 

The  Omaha  Claim  Club  made  a  regulation  that  each  member 
should  hold  against  all  claimants  provided  he  made  improvements 
on  the  land  to  the  value  of  $50  per  year.  Under  this  regulation 
all  the  land  within  five  or  ten  miles  of  the  city  was  gobbled  up  by 
the   settlers,  each   one   taking   320   acres. 

Two  or  three  years  afterwards  when  new  settlers  began  to  ar- 
rive pretty  fast,  this  regulation  gave  rise  to  a  great  deal  of  serious 
difficulty,  and  in  some  cases  bloodshed  resulted.  The  claim  club  was 
very  arbitrary,  and  in  some  cases  oppressive,  in  enforcing  some  of  its 
regidations,  and  those  of  the  "old  settlers,"  who  still  reside  here,  do 
not  like  to  say  much  about  the  matter.  We  will,  however,  mention 
a  few  well  authenticated  incidents  of  their  action  in  respect  to  the 
adjustment   of  difficulties   arising  from  disputed    claims. 

Mr.  George  Smith,  better  known  as  "  Doc."  Smith,  the  veteran 
surveyor  of  Douglas  county,  was  one  of  the  many  victims  of  the 
wrath  of  the  Omaha  Claim  Club.  He  had  taken  up  a  claim — in  the 
vicinity  of  his  present  residence  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city — on 
the  15th  day  of  May,  1856,  and  by  the  iSth  instant  he  had  his 
house  half  completed,  when  an  armed  party  of  seventy-five  or  one 
hundred  men,  under  the  direction  of  the  Omaha  Claim  Club,  came 
up  and  in  a  few  minutes  leveled  the  building  to  the  ground,  and 
threatened    to  put   an    end    to  the    existence  of   Mr.    Smith,  who  saw  it 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


was  useless  to  resist  against  such  overwhelming  odds.  He  had  re- 
treated to  a  small  clump  of  trees  and  bushes,  where  he  held  a  brief 
consultation  with  the  captain  of  the  men,  who  advised  him  to  leave 
at  once.  Mr.  Smith  acted  on  this  advice,  and  going  down  under  the 
bluff,  he  quickly  departed  and  crossed  the  river  to  Iowa,  going  to 
Glenwood,  where  he  remained  most  of  that  summer,  occupying  his 
time  in  cultivating  a  small  piece  of  ground  that  he  had  there.  He 
visited  Omaha  occasionally,  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  recover  his 
land.  In  the  summer  of  1857  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  Omaha,  and 
soon  after,  early  in  1858,  employed  a  Washington  lawyer,  Richard 
M.  Young,  to  present  his  case  to  the  Commissioner  of  the  General 
Land  Office,  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  who  had  replied  in  De- 
cember, 1857,  to  the  letter  of  the  register  and  receiver  of  the  land 
office  at  Omaha  in  reference  to  the  matter,  that  as  Smith  was  absent 
from  the  land  claimed  for  more  than  one  year  ;  that  as  there  was  no 
evidence  that  he  attempted  to  return  and  take  possession  of  his 
claim,  or  that  he  resorted  to  legal  proceedings  to  obtain  possession 
or  to  protect  himself,  the  General  Land  Office  could  not  take  the 
place  of  the  local  law,  and  its  officers,  to  protect  him  ;  and  further, 
that  not  having  complied  either  with  the  letter  or  the  spirit  of  the 
pre-emption    law,  his    claim    was    rejected. 

Young  went  at  the  case  with  a  will,  notwithstanding  this 
adverse  ruling  of  the  Commissioner,  and  gathering  all  the  facts  and 
testimony,  he  presented  the  matter  in  a  clear  and  convincing  man- 
ner, and  finally  recovered  Smith's  land  for  him.  Young  had  the  facts 
and  testimony  of  the  case  printed  in  pamphlet  form,  and  distributed 
throughout  Nebraska  at  the  time,  and  we  have  now  in  possession  a 
copy,  from    which    we  have   gathered    considerable    information. 

John  A.  Parker,  who  was  register  of  the  land  office  at  the  time 
Smith  was  driven  off  his  land,  was  one  of  the  main  witnesses  for 
Smith.      In    his  affidavit    he    testified   as  follows  ; 


II  IS  TORT    OF    CM  A  HA. 


"  That  he  was  present  at  Omaha  in  May,  1856,  at  which  time  the 
said  George  Smith  had  erected  a  house  on  the  above  mentioned  land, 
and  which  was  the  only  house  or  other  improvement  on  said  land  ; 
that  soon  after  said  house  was  erected  on  said  land  he  saw  a  large 
and  excited  mob,  fully  armed,  proceed  to  said  house  and  pull  the 
same  down,  and  give  notice  to  said  Smith  to  leave  the  Territory 
immediately,  under  fain  of  being  placed  in  the  river  if  he  failed  to 
do  so  ;  that  the   said    Smith   did,   in   fact,  leave. 

"On  or  about  the  1st  of  February,  1S57,  the  land  office  opened  at 
Omaha,  and  the  'Claim  Association'  held  a  a  meeting,  and  passed 
resolutions,  that  no  man  should  be  permitted  to  pre-empt  land  with- 
out the  consent  of  said  association  ;  and  a  committee  of  vigilance  was 
appointed  to  see  that  no  person  violated  said  resolution,  and  to  pun- 
ish and  'dispose  of  all  who  did  make  any  effort  to  comply  with 
the  laws  of  the  United  States.  Some  were  summarily  dealt  with, 
and  have  not  since  been  heard  of.  An  effort  was  made  to  find  Smith, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  him  abandon  his  claim,  and  it  is  within 
the  personal  knowledge  of  this  affiant  that  threats  were  made,  if  he 
could  be  found  and  refused  to  comply,  he  should  be  hung  ;  and  this 
atfiant   has  no   doubt   that  said  threats  would   have  been    executed. 

"  Some  time  in  April  the  said  Smith  wrote  to  this  affiant  asking 
if  he  could,  in  his  opinion,  safely  appear  at  his  office  to  consummate 
his  pre-emption.  He  replied,  that  he  did  not  think  he  could  *do  so, 
and    any    attempt   on    his    part  would    forfeit   his  life. 

"Again,  in  the  summer,  he  was  written  to  on  the  same  subject ; 
and  he  was  then  advised  to  come  down  to  the  office  at  night,  and 
bring  his  witnesses  with  him,  so  that  the  facts  should  be  sent  to  the 
Commissioner   of  the    Land  Office — all    of   which    was  done. 

"  During  the  whole  period  there  was  no  bona  fide  settlement  on 
said  land,  nor  was  there  any  such  settlement  up  to  the  time  said 
Smith    came   to    the    office.     The   only  real    claimant    to    the    land    was 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA.  103 

Omaha,  and  it  constituted  a  portion  of  the  3,500  acres  which  was 
set  apart  and  claimed  for  the  town,  but  constituted  no  part  of  the 
area  entered,  or  built  on,  and  occupied  for  town  purposes.  It  does 
not  appear  that  there  was  any  laches  on  the  part  of  Smith,  nor  was 
there  any  law  in  existence  to  which  he  could  appeal  to  place  him 
in  possession  of  the  land,  (even  if  such  a  law  could  have  been  en- 
forced against  a  mob.)  The  legislature,  at  its  session  of  1S57,  had 
repealed  all  civil  and  criminal  laws,  and  had  not  substituted  any 
others. 

"This  affiant  is  in  doubt  whether,  at  this  time,  the  said  Smith 
could  safely  enter  on  the  land  ;  but,  if  it  is  entrusted  to  him,  he 
has  no  doubt  he  will   make   the   effort. 

(Signed)  John  A.  Parker, 

Late  Register  Land  Office,  Omaha,  N.  T." 
A  grand  mass  meeting  of  the  Omaha  Claim  Club  was  held  in 
Pioneer  Block  on  the  20th  day  of  February,  1S57.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  order  by  the  President,  when  it  was  announced  that  dele- 
gations were  present  from  Bellevue,  Florence,  Elkhorn  and  Papillion, 
readv  to  offer  aid  and  counsel  of  their  respective  districts,  to  assist  the 
people  of  Omaha  in    the    protection    of  their  rights. 

The  delegations  were  admitted  by  acclamation,  and  a  committee 
of  five  was  appointed  to  draw  up  resolutions  expressing  the  sentiments 
and    intentions  of  the    squatters.     The    resolutions  were  as  follows  : 

••  Whereas  it  appears  that  evil  disposed  persons  are  giving  trouble, 
in  different  parts  of  this  vicinity,  in  attempting  to  pre-empt  the 
claims  and  parts  of  claims  held  by  bona  fide  Claimants,  to  the  great 
annoyance  of  the   rightful  owners  :     Therefore, 

•  Resolved,  That  we  have  the  fullest  confiden  •.  in  the  power  of 
the  claim  associations  to  protect  the  rights  of  the  actual  settler,  and 
we  pledge  ourselves  as  men,  and  as  members  of  the  different  laim 
associations     in    Douglas    and    Sarpy    counties,    to    maintain    the     claim 


m4  HIS  TORT    OS     OMAHA. 

title  as  the  highest  title  known  to  our  laws,  and  we  will  defend  it 
with    our    lives. 

"  Resolved,  That  persons  shielding  themselves  under  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress  to  pre-empt  a  man's  farm  under  the  color  of  law,  shall  be  no 
excuse  for  the  offender,  but  will  be  treated  by  us  as  any  other  com- 
mon thief" 

The  resolutions  were  adopted  by  acclamation,  and  the  captain  of 
the  regulators  was  authorized  to  select  a  vigilance  committee  to  carry 
out    the   intention    of  the    resolutions. 

It  was  then  ordered  that  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be 
printed  and  posted  in  public  places  and  published  in  the  newspapers 
of  the  Territory,  and  the  meeting  then  adjourned  until  Saturday, 
the  21st,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  attend  at  the  United 
States  land  office  and  warn  settlers  of  any  attempt  to  pre-empt  their 
land.  The  captain  of  the  regulators  choose  a  secret  vigilance  com- 
mittee and  mini-.te  men  were  enrolled  to  execute  the  orders  of  the 
association  in  the  speediest  and  most  effiectual  manner,  when  the 
meeting  adjourned. 

It  has  been  related  to  us  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  Omaha  Claim 
Club  in  Pioneer  Block — very  likely  at  the  same  meeting  that  we 
have  just  described — a  well  known  man,  now  dead,  in  speaking  of 
what  should  be  the  fate  of  those  who  threatened  to  prove  up  on  a 
claim  not  their  own,  said,  "Instead  of  letting  them  prove  up  we'll 
[keek]  send  them  up,"  at  the  same  time  accompanying  the  remark 
with  a  noise  as  of  a  choking  sensation,  and  with  a  gesture  of  the 
hand  to  indicate  the  sudden  elevation  of  an  object  towards  an  over- 
hanging limb.  These  gestures  were  especially  significant  as  coming 
from  one  known  to  have  been  tried  for  the  killing  of  a  man.  This 
incident  may  remind  the  reader  whenever  he  hears  the  expression 
"  we've  got  'em  a- keeking,'1''  that  somebody  has  got  somebody  else  in 
a   tight    place — choking    the    wind    out   of  him,    so  to    speak. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  105 


On  the  21st  of  February,  1S57 — the  very  next  day  after  the  hold- 
ing of  the  "grand  mass  meeting  "—the  club  began  to  carry  out  its 
resolutions,  and  rallying  its  members  to  the  number  of  one  hundred 
or  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  all  fully  armed  and  equipped,  they 
marched  out  in  a  body  to  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  city,  and 
forcibly  dispossessed  of  his  premises  Jacob  S.  Shull,  who  had  squatted 
on  what  he  had  rightfully  supposed  to  be  a  piece  of  government 
land,  and  being  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  he  claimed  the  right 
to  settle   upon  and   improve  it   under  the  pre-emption  laws. 

Seeing  this  large  body  of  men  bearing  down  upon  him,  and 
knowing  what  they  were  coming  for,  he  concluded  that  discretion 
was    the  better   part    of  valor,    and    accordingly    hurriedly    retreated. 

The  claim  club  tore  down  and  set  fire  to  his  buildings,  destroy- 
ing everything  on  the  premises,  and  then  began  hunting  for  him. 
He  lay  concealed  for  two  days  behind  a  counter,  in  a  dry  goods  store, 
and  his  hiding  place,  fortunately  for  him,  was  not  discovered  by  his 
pursuers,  although  they  searched  nearly  every  building  in  town,  the 
store  in  which  he  lay  included.  Finally  after  the  excitement  had 
somewhat  subsided,  he  made  his  re-appearance,  and  was  not  any 
further  molested  as  he  kept  very  quiet.  Of  course  he  did  not  dare 
to  openly  assert  any  claim  to  the  land  after  this  occurrence.  Mr. 
Shull  did  not  live  long  after  this  event,  dying  inside  of  a  year  after 
his  dispossession  of  the  land.  His  death,  it  is  said,  was  greatly 
owing  to  the  treatment  he  had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  claim 
club.  His  trouble  bore  heaviiy  on  his  mind,  and  caused  a  general 
depression  of  his  spirits.  Upon  his  death-bed  his  last  thoughts  were 
of  his  property,  and  his  last  words,  uttered  to  his  son,  Henry  D. 
Shull,  then  a  very  young  man  or  rather  boy,  were,  "You  [meaning 
the  family]  will   get   it  some   day,"   and   his  prediction    came   true. 

The   party    claiming  the    land  under   the   club    law,    afterwards    pro- 
cured    his     title     from    government.       The    heirs    of    Mr.    Shull,   how- 
7 


io6  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

ever,  carried  their  case  to  the  courts,  and  without  any  difficulty  at 
all  procured  the  title  from  the  government  for  the  160  acres  01 
land,  and  the  last  claimant  was  then  ousted  and  "went  about  his 
business."  The  heirs  still  reside  in  this  city,  and  are  now  enjoying 
the  profits  arising  from  the  sale  of  the  land  in  city  lots,  it  having 
become   quite   valuable   in    the   meantime. 

Another  case  was  that  of  an  Irishman  named  Callahan,  who  had 
settled  upon  a  piece  of  land  in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  in  the 
vicinity  of  West  Omaha.  He,  too,  was  dispossessed  by  the  claim 
club  ;  but  he  went  back  a  few  days  afterwards,  acting  under  the 
advice  of  some  one  who  was  not  known,  and  took  possession  ot  the 
land  again.  Thereupon  a  committee  of  the  club  arrested  him  on  the 
land  and  brought  him  before  the  club  for  the  hearing  of  his  case. 
It  was  an  august  and  solemn  assembly,  and  the  trial  was  gone 
through  with  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  squatter  law,  the 
verdict  being  that  he  should  renounce  all  claims  to  the  land,  or  be 
drovj7ied  in  tin  Missouri  river.  He  was  given  thirty  minutes  to 
decide  the  vital  question  whether  he  would  give  up  his  claim  or 
become  bait  for  the  fishes.  He  refused  to  relinquish  the  land.  He 
was  then  led  to  the  river  where  a  hole  was  cut  in  the  ice,  the 
event  transpiring  in  February  or  March,  1S57.  They  ducked  him 
into  the  hole,  taking  good  care,  however,  not  to  let  go  ot  him,  for 
if  they  had,  he  would  have  been  swept  under  the  ice  by  the  stron°r 
current. 

They  soon  took  him  out,  stood  him  upon  his  feet,  and  asked 
him  to  renounce  the  land.  As  soon  as  he  could  spit  the  water 
out  of  his  mouth,  he  emphatically  declared  that  he  would  not. 
He  was  again  ducked  under  the  water,  and  a  second  time  pulled 
out,  still  remaining  obstinate.  They  gave  him  a  third  submersion, 
and  he  then  finally  agreed  to  yield  to  their  demand,  having  become 
convinced     that     they     meant      business,    and     would     soon     vary    the 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  107 


AN    OBSTINATE    IRISHMAN    DUCKED    IN    THE    RIVER    BY    THE 
CLAIM    CLUB. 


io8  II /STOUT    OF    OMAHA. 

monotony  of  the  transaction  by  letting  go  their  hold.  The  half-drowned 
and  halt -frozen  victim  was  brought  up  to  the  city  to  sign  a  docu- 
ment of  relinquishment,  but  by  the  time  they  arrived  at  the  appointed 
place,  it  was  found  that  the  man  was  not  able  to  stand  up,  the 
cold  bath  and  the  exposure  having  been  too  much  for  him.  Dr. 
McElwee,  who  died  about  a  3'ear  afterwards,  and  Dr.  Thrall  were 
immediately  summoned  to  attend  to  the  case.  The  doctors  took  the 
patient  into  a  warm  room,  stripped  off  his  wet  clothes,  some  of 
which  were  actually  frozen  stiff,  wrapped  him  in  dry  blankets,  and 
gave  him  three  doses  of  whisky.  This  treatment,  especially  the  stimu- 
lant, soon  revived  him,  and  he  then  signed  the  deed  of  relinquish- 
ment. The  land  was  entered  and  sold  to  an  innocent  party,  which 
ended  the  matter.  Poor  Callahan  died  a  few  years  afterwards,  his  death 
being  hastened,    as    it   is    said,   by    the  ducking  he  had    received. 

At  another  time  a  meeting  of  the  club  was  held  in  Pioneer 
Block,  there  beir.g  about  one  hundred  members  present.  A  man. 
named  Ziegler  was  arrested  and  brought  before  them  on  the  very 
serious  charge  of  having  asserted  claim  to  some  piece  of  land  belong- 
ing to  some  member  of  the  club.  The  president  put  the  usual  ques- 
tion to  him,  "  Guilty  or  not  guilty  ? "  He  pleaded  "  not  guilty,"  and 
stated  defiantly  that  he  claimed  that  land  and  proposed  to  stick  to 
it.  His  trial  occupied  just  ten  minutes,  and  no  time  was  wasted  in 
any  foolishness  or  red  tape.  The  verdict  was  that  he  should  re- 
linquish all  claim  to  the  land,  or  be  banished  from  the  Territory, 
and  in  case  he  returned  to  suffer  death.  The  president  of  the  club 
with  all  the  solemnity  he  could  command,  ordered  him  to  stand  up 
and  receive  his  sentence,  which  was  delivered  in  accordance  with 
the   squatter    law    in    "  such  cases    made  and  provided.'' 

Ziegler  was  then  escorted  to  the  river  by  a  committee  and 
ordered  to  depart,  which  he  proceeded  to  do  without  any  further 
ceremony    or   a   second  bidding. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  109 


«  Ziegler  came  back  a  few  weeks  afterwards,  but  did  not  set  up 
any  more  claims  to  the  land,  and  he  was  not  troubled  again  by 
the   claim   club. 

It  was  on  the  17th  of  July,  1S57,  that  one  Daniel  Murphy  en- 
tered at  the  land  ofHee  in  Omaha  a  fractional  quarter  of  a  section  of 
land  near  the  Platte  River,  about  two  miles  west  from  Larimer 
Mills,  in  Sarpy  county.  The  land  so  entered  joined  a  piece  owned 
by  two  other  men,  both  of  whom  had  taken  advantage  of  the  law, 
and  had  entered,  under  the  pre-emption  law  of  1841,  the  full  amount 
thus  allowed.  They  wanted  more,  and  to  accomplish  their  end  they 
asked  the  aid  of  the  Omaha  Claim  Club.  These  two  men  wanted  to 
purchase  the  land  from  Murphy,  but  he  refused  to  sell.  He  was 
then  inveigled  into  an  office  by  them,  and  found  himself  in  the  pres- 
ence of  several  persons,  among  whom  was  a  lawyer.  They  demanded 
that  Murphy  should  sell,  but  he  still  objected.  Threatening  language 
was  used  towards  him,  and  it  was  insisted  that  he  must  surrender 
his  certificate  of  entry.  While  they  were  thus  parleying  with  him, 
Murphy,  who  saw  he  was  in  the  enemy's  camp,  sprang  through  a 
window,  while  they  were  a  little  off  their  guard,  and  attempted  to 
escape.  But  he  was  caught  and  brought  back,  after  a  fierce  struggle 
in  which  his  clothes  were  almost  entirely  torn  off.  One  of  his  cap- 
tors, as  the  story  goes  and  as  it  has  appeared  in  public  print, 
pointed  a  revolver  at  his  head,  and  another  flourished  a  bowie-knife 
in  close  proximitv  to  him.  His  clothes  were  searched  for  the  cer 
tificate  but  could  not  be  found,  as  Murphy  had  rolled  it  into  a 
small  ball  and  concealed  it  in  his  mouth.  Being  unable  to  find  it, 
thev  then  directed  their  lawyer,  who  was  a  notary  public,  to  swear 
Murphy  to  the  fact  that  the  certificate  was  lost  and  destroyed,  and 
Murphy,  thinking  it  advisable  under  the  circumstances,  accordingly 
made  such  an  oath,  and  also  signed  a  deed  conveying  away  his 
land      for     the      consideration     of      $1,000     as     was     expressed     in    the 


//IS TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


instrument,  bul  it  is  said  that  Murphy  was  handed  only  $100.  Murphy 
was  then  permitted  to  depart  with  the  admonition  that  he  must  say 
nothing  and  leave  town,  and  to  this  latter  proposition  he  was  also 
sworn.  Murphy  sought  advice,  hut  found  to  his  sorrow  that  the 
power  of  the  claim  club  was  omnipotent  and  that  he  could  not  ob- 
tain relief.  He  went  to  work  for  a  short  time  at  day  wages,  but 
being  threatened  on  various  occasions,  as  he  said  he  still  claimed 
the  land,  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  thence  to  Missouri.  He  after- 
wards returned  to  Omaha  about  the  year  1870,  after  the  death 
of  one  of  the  other  two  claimants,  and  brought  suit  for  the  recovery 
of  the  land.  It  was  said  that  this  case  was  a  "  hatched  up  job,"  and 
we  understand  that  it  never  came  to  trial  ;  at  least  if  it  did,  it 
resulted    in    nothing    for    the    claimant. 

The  following  story  of  the  doings  of  the  early  claim  clubs  has- 
appeared  in  print,  and  is  another  good  illustration  of  how  they 
managed  affairs  in  those  days  :  An  Irishman  had  entered  the  claim 
of  another  at  the  land  office,  receiving  therefor  a  certificate,  and  he 
was  soon  afterwards  taken  in  hand  by  the  club  to  which  the  first 
claimant  of  the  land  belonged.  The  man  was  knocked  down,  tied 
and  put  in  a  wagon  which  was  driven  under  a  big  cottonwood  tree  ; 
a  rope  was  put  around  his  neck  and  he  was  told  to  say  his  last 
prayers,  for  unless  he  would  sign  over  his  certificate  he  would  be 
hung  at  once.  The  Irishman  declined  to  either  pray  or  sign  over,, 
and  was  instantly  strung  up.  He  was  left  dangling  a  moment,  and 
was  then  cut  down  and  restored  to  consciousness.  Being  still  obsti- 
nate, he  was  again  elevated,  and  a  second  time  released  from  the 
unpleasant  situation.  He  still  refused  to  comply  with  the  demands  ot 
the  club.  After  a  short  consultation  it  was  decided  to  lock  the  pris- 
oner up,  put  a  sentinel  over  him,  and  starve  him  into  submission.. 
The  plan  was  carried  into  effect,  and  after  the  Irishman  had  stood 
it    till    he   had    suffered     extreme    torture    from   the     want    of    food,    he 


HIST  OR  T    OF    OMAHA. 


sent  for  the  leader  of  the  club  and  told  him  he  was  ready  to  transfer 
the  certificate  which  he  had  received  at  the  land  office,  to  the  one 
who  had  first  occupied  the  land,  and  also  to  sign  a  quit-claim  deed. 
This  being  done  the  prisoner  was  released,  and  the  supposition  is 
that  the  first  thing  he  did  upon  gaining  his  liberty  was  to  take  a 
square  meal  and  wash  it  down  with  a  big  horn  of  good  old  Irish 
whisky. 

Concerning  the  claim  clubs  we  find  the  following  interesting 
paragraph  in  Woolworth's  "  Nebraska  in  1S57  :"  "  Where  the  land 
has  not  been  surveyed,  the  United  States  law  affords  no  protection 
to  a  squatter,  against  a  jumper  ;  that  is,  a  person  entering  upon  his 
claim  and  asserting  a  possessory  right  to  it.  To  afford  protection 
in  these  cases,  the  Territorial  legislature  passed  an  act,  approved 
March  6th,  1855,  relative  to  claims  on  the  public  lands,  by  which  it 
is  provided  that  the  squatter  may  hold  320  acres  by  forming 
with  his  neighbors  a  club,  which  is  required  to  make  and  record  with 
the  register  of  the  county  its  regulations.  By  this  act  these  clubs 
are  invested  with  legislative  powers  for  their  neighborhoods.  Their 
operation  is  this  :  A  member  of  the  club  has  fulfilled  the  require- 
ments of  the  rules  in  staking  out  his  claim,  recording  it,  and  improving 
it.  A  person  steps  in  and  claims  it  for  himself.  The  matter  is 
brought  before  the  club  and  examined.  If  the  second  claimant,  who 
is  called  a  jumper,  can  not  show  that  the  first  claimant  has  no 
right  to  hold  the  claim,  under  the  regulations  of  the  club,  he  is  re- 
quired within  a  certain  period  to  withdraw  his  claim,  on  penalty  of 
expulsion  from  the  Territory,  or  of  death.  Such  is  the  necessity  of 
the  case,  that  in  any  event  in  which  he  should  not  yield,  the  penalty 
is  promptly  enforced.  Most  clubs  construe  a  person  who  is  not  a 
citizen  of  the  Territory  a  settler,  provided  he  has  a  tenant  on  the 
land.  But  few  cases  of  extreme  measures  have  arisen.  These  regu- 
lations   afford   pietty   safe  possession    to   the    actual  settler  ;    although    it 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


can  be  hardly  doubted,  that  the  law  of  the  Territory  conferring  leg- 
islative authority  on  the  cluhs,  is  unconstitutional.  Still  public  opinion 
is  more  than    law." 

The  rules  of  these  clubs  were  the  only  security  of  the  settler  prior 
to  the  land  sales,  and  hence  much  can  be  said  in  their  favor,  not- 
withstanding there  were  some  abuses — an  inevitable  result  whenever 
men  take  the  law  ;nto  their  own  hands.  Claim-jumping  was  consid- 
ered the  highest  crime  in  those  days — horse  stealing  coming  next  in 
importance.  Claim  clubs  were  a  necessity  as  long  as  squatter  titles 
existed,  but  as  soon  as  government  title  to  land  could  be  obtained, 
there  was  no  further  use  for  such  organizations,  and  accordingly  the 
Omaha  Claim  Clubs,  as  well  as  all  other  similar  associations  in  Ne 
braska,  disbanded  in    1S57-5S. 

During  the  year  1S56  the  land  in  the  Territory  was  surveyed  by 
the  government  The  title  of  the  land,  the  reader  is  reminded,  was 
still    vested    in    the   government. 

The  first  entry  of  land  ever  made  in  Nebraska  was  in  March, 
1S57,  in  which  month  the  river  counties  were  thrown  upon  the 
market.  The  title  could  only  be  acquired  from  the  government 
under  the  pre-emption  law  of  1S41,  which  required  a  settlement  on 
the  land  by  the  party  making  the  entry.  The  only  exception  to  this 
was  in  the  case  of  cities  and  towns,  which  were  entered  under  the 
municipal  act  of  1844.  The  pre-emption  laws  were  very  liberally 
construed.  The  parties  who  entered  the  land  qualified  themselves 
under  the  law  by  a  residence  of  five  days  on  the  tract  claimed  ;  of 
late  years,  however,  a  six  months'  residence  is  required  under  the 
same   law. 

The  first  public  sale  of  government  lands  to  the  highest  bidder 
was  made  on  the  5th  of  July,  1S59.  Up  to  this  date  no  land  had 
been   offered    in   the   market   except    in    the   river  counties. 

Col.  A.    R.   Gilmore    was    the    first    receiver    of    the    United    States 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  113 

land  office  at  Omaha,  and  Col.  J.  A.  Parker,  was  the  first  register. 
The  land  covered  by  the  site  of  Omaha  was  granted  in  two  pat- 
ents— one  to  John  McCormick,  dated  May  1st,  i860,  the  land  having 
been  bid  off  by  him  at  the  public  sale  of  July  5,  1859,  acting  as  trus- 
tee, and  the  other  to  Jesse  Lowe,  Mayor,  dated  October  1,  1S60,  on 
the   entry  made   March    17,   1S57. 


'M 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


PIONEER    JUSTICE. 


THE     WAY     THEY     TREATED     HORSE    THIEVES     IN     THE     EARLY     DAYS     AT 

OMAHA TWO    HORSE     THIEVES     HAVE      THEIR      HEADS      SHAVED    AND 

ARE      PUBLICLY       WHIPPED      AT     A     LIBERTY      POLE ILLUSTRATION 

TWO     OTHERS    ARE    TAKEN    BY    A    MOB      FROM      THE    JAIL      AND     HUNG 

TO      A      TREE      NEAR      FLORENCE ILLUSTRATION THE      HANGING     OF 

BOUVE     IN     THE     JAIL      BY     THE      VIGILANTES    FOR    THE      ROBBERY    OF 
MRS.    TAYLOR — THE    DOINGS    OF    THE    VIGILANTES. 

,N  every  new  country  the  settlers  frequently  feel  called 
on  to  mete  out  justice  to  offenders,  in  their  own  peculiar 
way,  owing  to  the  inefficiency  of  the  laws  and  the 
"  freshness"  of  the  executives,  if  any  there  be.  Pioneer 
justice  is  swift  and  although  sometimes  rather  harsh  it  is 
generally  administered  impartially  and  correctly.  No 
guilty  man  escapes  through  the  law's  delay  or  through 
the  law's  technicalities.  As  a  sample  of  pioneer  justice 
we  will  relate  the  following  truthful  tale.  It  was  in  the  summer  of 
1S56  that  a  couple  of  vagabonds  stole  two  horses  from  the  settlers  in 
the  vicinity  of  Omaha,  who  had  been  frequent  losers  by  the  opera- 
tions of  horse  thieves.  These  two  horses  were  sold  by  them  to  some 
Pawnee  Indians  near  the  Elkhorn,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
south  of  Fremont.  One  day  soon  afterwards  the  animals  strayed  back 
to  Omaha  and  were  recaptured  by  the  owners.  The  Indians  came 
after  them,  but  of  course  could  not  get  them  again.  They  were 
questioned    as    to     their    claims  to   the    animals,    and   replied    that  they 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA.  115 

had  bought  them  from  white  men.  They  were  then  told  that  the 
next  time  any  white  men  offered  to  sell  them  horses  to  hold  them 
as  prisoners,  and  give  information  of  the  fact.  Shortly  afterwards 
the  same  two  men  made  their  appearance  among  the  Pawnees  and 
wanted  to  sell  them  some  mules.  The  Indians,  remembering  that  they 
had  lost  the  horses  which  they  had  purchased  from  these  men,  and 
not  forgetting  the  instructions  they  had  received  at  Omaha,  at  once 
arrested  the  thieves  and  brought  them  into  the  city,  delivering  them 
up  to  the  whites.  There  was  no  jail  in  town  then  in  which  to 
confine  them,  and  if  there  had  been  the  society  was  not  sufficiently 
developed  to  punish  crime  in  the  usual  manner.  So  the  matter  was 
talked  over  among  the  citizens  and  others,  and  the  conclusion  was 
arrived  at  that  the  thieves  should  have  their  heads  shaved,  and  that 
each  should  receive  thirty-nine  lashes  on  the  bare  back,  and  that  they 
should   return    to   the   Indians    the    amount   received    for   the  horses. 

The  crowd  at  once  proceeded  to  carry  out  their  "  conclusion." 
A  colored  barber  named  Bill  Lee,  a  Madagascar  negro,  was  em- 
ployed to  shave  their  heads,  and  he  did  the  work  in  a  highly  artistic 
manner.  He  shaved  the  right  side  of  the  head  of  one  of  the  thieves 
and  the  left  side   of  the  head   of  the  other. 

The  prisoners  were  then  led  up  to  a  liberty  pole,  which  had  been 
erected  the  year  before  on  the  then  vacant  block  between  Har- 
ney and  Farnham  and  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  streets,  in  front  of 
the  old  Apex  saloon,  which  was  kept  by  Charley  Green  and  Dick 
Kimball,  the  latter  of  whom  still  resides  in  the  city.  The  Douglas 
House,  which  was  then  the  leading  resort  in  the  town,  stood  not  far 
distant.  One  of  the  thieves  was  stripped  to  the  hips  and  his  hands 
tied  to  the  liberty  pole.  A  good  heavy  rawhide  was  brought  out, 
and  everything  was  then  ready  for  the  whipping.  The  performance, 
however,  was  somewhat  delayed  on  account  of  vhere  being  no  one 
who  seemed  willing    to  handle    the    rawhide. 


n6  NTS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 

During  this  delay  the  trembling  wretch  stood  there  waiting  for  his 
punishment.  At  last,  however,  it  was  suggested  that  the  Indians 
should  do  the  whipping.  The  Indians  readily  assented,  and  one  of 
them  started  in  rather  too  vigorously,  so  that  he  had  to  be  checked. 
Another  suggestion  was  then  made  that  the  owners  of  the  horses  that 
had  been  stolen  should  undertake  the  job,  and  they  accordingly  per- 
formed the  whipping  to  the  satisfaction  of  every  one,  especially  the 
Indians,  who  seemed  to  greatly  enjoy  the  scene,  and  they  were  the  only 
ones  who  really  appeared  to  relish  the  performance.  The  owner  of 
one  of  the  horses  whipped  the  first  thief,  who  counted  each  lash  as 
it  fell,  and  when  the  last  stroke  was  applied,  he  yelled  out,  "  That's 
all."  The  other  thief  was  then  led  up  and  tied  to  the  pole,  and  was 
whipped  by  the  owner  of  the  other  horse.  The  names  of  the  two 
men  who  did  the  whipping  have  passed  out  of  the  recollection  of 
nearly  everybody,  but  one  old  settler  of  Omaha  informs  us  that  they 
were  Joe  Gurnett,  who  is  now  in  Montana,  and  Jesse  Shoemaker,  who 
is  at    present   somewhere    out   west. 

The  citizens  all  regretted  the  affair,  but  regarded  it  as  an  unavoid- 
able necessity,  as  there  had  been  so  much  horse  and  cow  stealing 
going  on.  Chief  Justice  Ferguson — whose  son  A.  N.  Ferguson  is  now 
a  promising  young  lawyer  of  this  city — was  greatly  opposed  to  this 
transaction  from  the  very  start,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  stop  it. 
He  said  it  was  all  wrong,  and  that  they  had  no  business  to  take  the 
law  into  their  own  hands.  He  directed  B.  P.  Rankin,  then  United 
States  Marshal,  to  disperse  the  mob,  confine  the  prisoners,  and  give 
them    a  hearing. 

Rankin,  who  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  act  in  opposition  to  the 
sentiment  of  the  crowd,  obeyed  the  order,  but  in  such  a  manner  that 
it  had  no  effect  whatever.  He  is  said  to  have  delivered  the  com- 
mand of  the  Judge  in  a  tone  of  voice  little  above  a  whisper.  No 
one   paid    any   attention    to   him.      The    whipping    proceeded   until    the 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


117 


,,s  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 

full  punishment  had  been  inflicted,  after  which  the  victims  were  con- 
ducted  to  the  river  and  allowed  to  depart.  They  never  showed 
themselves  in  this  vicinity  again,  and  it  is  quite  likely  that  they 
were  effectually    cured  of  horse  stealing — in    Nebraska,    at    least. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1S5S,  two  men,  one  named  Braden 
and  the  other  Daley,  were  hung  by  a  mob  for  horse  stealing.  These 
two  fellows  had  stc:en  horses  from  some  farmers  at  or  near  Florence, 
six  miles  north  of  Omaha.  They  had  lost  horses  before,  and  could 
not  recover  them.  After  a  long  and  determined  chase  they  cap- 
tured Braden  and  his  companion,  Daley,  together  with  the  stolen 
horses.  They  conveyed  the  prisoners  to  Omaha,  where  they  were 
incarcerated  in  jail.  They  had  a  preliminary  hearing  before  a  magis- 
trate, who  committed  them  to  jail  in  default  of  bail  to  await  their 
trial. 

A  few  days  afterwards  a  small  party  of  men  early  in  the  even- 
in  g  withered  around  the  Court  House,  which  was  approaching  com- 
pletion, and  was  partially  occupied.  One  of  them  stepped  into  the 
sheriff's  office,  being  the  same  room  now  occupied  by  County  Treas- 
urer Althaus,  and  without  any  demonstration  or  saying  anything, 
walked  to  the  further  side  of  the  room  and  took  the  key  of  the  jail 
from  the  nail  where  it  was  hanging.  He  left  the  office  before  the 
sheriffs  wife  could  give  the  alarm.  She  was  the  only  person  there, 
her    husband,    Cam    Reeves,   being  absent. 

The.  party  of  men  then  entered  the  jail,  and  took  out  Braden  and 
Daley  and  tied  them  with  a  rope.  Dumping  the  prisoners  into  a 
wagon,  they  drove  rapidly  to  the  north,  being  followed  by  a  large 
crowd  of  men  in  vehicles,  and  on  foot,  who  no  doubt  anticipated  the 
result.  The  whole  party  proceeded  to  a  point  two  miles  north  of 
Florence  on  the  mail  road.  The  wagon  stopped  under  an  oak  tree, 
from  which  a  stout  limb  projected.  A  rope  was  thrown  over  this 
limb,    allowing   the  ends    to    hang    down.      One  end    of  the  rope   was 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


119 


tied  around  Braden's  neck,  and  the  other  around  Daley's  neck,  the 
one  rope  being  thus  used  to  hang  the  two  men.  The  wagon  then 
started  up,  driving  out  from  beneath  the  unlucky  horse-thieves,  who 
were  thus  left  dangling  in  the  air,  with  their  backs  to  each  other,  or 
nearly    so. 


1  UK     HANGING     OF    BRADEN     AND     DALEY     BY      A    MOB     FOR 
HORSE   STEALING. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


The  mob  quickly  dispersed  after  the  hanging.  The  bodies  of  the 
victims  remained  suspended  there  till  noon  of  the  next  day,  and 
when  they  were  cut  down  it  was  found  that  Braden,  by  some  means 
or  other — a  matter  of  mystery  by  the  way  to  everybody — had  got 
the  rope  into  his  mouth,  so  that  the  noose  did  not  pass  around  his 
neck  He  had  undoubtedly,  just  previously  to  his  being  launched  into 
eternity,  worked  tl  e  rope  up  to  his  chin,  thinking  in  all  probability 
that  he  might  thus  save  his  life  until  the  crowd  had  disappeared,  when 
he  might  either  be  able  to  release  himself,  or  some  one  might  come 
to  his  assistance.  When  the  wagon  drove  from  under  him  the  rope 
very  likely  was  jerked  from  his  chin  into  his  mouth  with  very  great 
torce.  But  no  one  came  to  his  rescue,  and  he  was  found  as  dead  as 
his  companion.  The  remains  were  conveyed  to  Omaha  for  the  pur- 
pose of  having  an  inquest  held  over  them,  and  were  placed  in  the 
same  cell  from  which  they  had  been  taken  alive  on  the  previous 
evening.  The  next  morning  the  bodies  were  found  horribly  mutilated  by 
the  rats.  Byron  Reed  and  John  Logan,  the  then  city  marshal,  were 
the  first  to  make  the  sickening  discovery.  The  public  sentiment  was 
very  strong  against  the  men,  whoever  they  were,  who  had  done 
the   hanging. 

A  coroner's  jury  was  empanelled,  and  Dr.  George  L.  Miller  was 
elected  foreman,  and  Byron  Reed  was  the  clerk  to  take  down  the 
testimony.  The  inquest  lasted  two  or  three  days.  A  great  deal  ot 
feeling  was  manifested  on  the  part  of  the  farmers  whose  horses  had 
been  stolen,  as  well  as  on  the  part  of  the  people  throughout  the 
country.  It  was  even  found  necessary  during  the  progress  of  the  in- 
quest to  employ  a  number  of  deputies  to  assist  the  sheriff  in  bringing 
in  obstinate  witnesses  before  the  jury.  In  one  case  it  required  the  com- 
bined strength  and  exertions  of  four  men  to  fetch  in  a  certain  witness 
who  absolutely  refused  to  say  a  word  about  the  case.  It  was  well- 
known    that  he    was   present  when  the  men   were   hung.     Some  twenty 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


or  thirty  witnesses,  who  saw  these  men  hung,  were  examined.  They 
admitted  the  fact  of  being  spectators,  but  said  they  had  no  hand  in 
the  affair,  and  did  not  know  anybody  who  had.  The  coroner's  jury 
failed  to  find  out  the  leaders  of  the  mob.  Although  they  had  their 
own  suspicions,  they  could  not  substantiate  them  by  any  legal  evi- 
dence. The  result,  however,  was  that  four  men  were  held  for  trial 
at  the  district  court  for  participating  to  some  extent  in  the  myste- 
rious affair.  They  were  tried  and  acquitted,  but  not  before  they  had 
taken  a  change  of  venue  to  Sarpy  county.  One  of  these  men  lives 
in  Omaha  at  the  present  time,  and  another  near  Florence.  It  is  a 
fact  that  this  affair  ruined  every  one  of  them,  mentally  and  finan- 
cially. They  had  previously  been  prosperous  men,  but  after  this  trial 
they  met  with  reverse   after  reverse^  and  have  never  since   recovered. 

The  sheriff  was  afterwards  indicted,  tried  and  convicted  of  dire- 
lection  of  duty  in  not  preventing  the  hanging,  and  was  fined  several 
hundred  dollars.  Judge  Ferguson  was  the  Chief  Justice  at  the  time, 
and  James  G.  Chapman  the  prosecuting  attorney.  The  records  of  this 
case   have   all   been    lost. 

Sometime  in  the  spring  of  1S61  there  came  to  the  house  of 
^h•.  George  T.  Taylor,  who  then  lived  on  the  military  road  ten 
miles  northwest  of  Omaha,  where  it  crosses  the  Big  Papillion,  two 
men  named  Bouve  and  Her,  who  were  what  might  be  termed  pro- 
fessional tramps.  There  was  no  one  at  home  except  Mrs.  Taylor, 
whom  they  assaulted  and  ordered  to  deliver  up  what  money  and  valu- 
ables that  there    were    in  the    house. 

Mrs.  Taylor,  being  a  resolute  woman,  made  objection  to  the  pro- 
ceeding, and  attempted  to  scare  them  off,  when  Bouve  seized  her, 
threw  her  on  the  bed.  tied  her  hands  and  otherwise,  fastened  her  so 
that  she  could  not  move,  and  then  struck  her,  but  without  indicting 
any  great  injury.  He  then  wanted  to  burn  her  up,  but  Her  prevented 
him   by    interfering    and   Baying    that    he   ought   not    to    strike    a    woman 


HISTORF    OF    OMAHA. 


or  hurt  her,  as  all  they  wanted  was  money.  Bouve  said  he  did'nt 
care  for  the  consequences.  They  then  robbed  the  house  of  money 
and  other  valuables,  consisting  mostly  of  silverware.  Bouve  was  not 
satisfied  with  the  plunder,  and  thinking  that  Mrs.  Taylor  had  not 
revealed  the  whereabouts  of  all  the  valuables,  he  pointed  a  revolver 
at  her,  and  would  no  doubt  have  shot  her,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
second  interference  of  Her  who  said  he  didn't  want  any  murder 
committed.  The  remarks  of  Her  in  Mrs.  Taylor's  behalf  afterwards 
saved  his  life.  The  thieves  gathered  up  their  plunder  and  came  into 
Omaha. 

Mr.  Taylor  returned  home  shortly  afterwards,  and  upon  learning 
the  circumstances  immediately  came  into  Omaha  and  gave  an  account 
of  the    robbery. 

Mr.  Taylor  next  went  before  Major  Armstrong,  who  was  police 
judge  and  mayor  of  Omaha,  and  swore  out  a  complaint  against  those 
old  offenders  John  Doe  and  Richard  Roc,  as  the  real  names  were 
unknown.  Thomas  Riley,  who  is  now  a  wholesale  liquor  merchant, 
was  then  city  marshal,  and  a  good  officer  he  was  too,  during  the 
three  terms  that  he  held  that  responsible  office.  In  his  hands  the 
warrant  of  arrest  was  placed,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  reported  I 
that  he  had  discovered  two  men,  whom  he  had  not  seen  in  town 
before,  playing  cards  in  a  saloon  under  the  Western  Exchange  Bank 
building,  now  occupied  by  Caldwell,  Hamilton  &  Co.  He  had  learned 
that  they  had  first  made  their  appearance  here  early  that  morning, 
and  seemed  rather  free  with  their  money.  Riley  was  ordered  to 
arrest  them  and  bring  them  before  the  court,  which  he  did  without 
any  unnecessary  delay.  The  prisoners  gave  their  names  as  James 
Bouve  and  John  S.  Her,  and  said  they  had  just  come  in  from  the 
west  and  were  seeking  employment  as  laborers.  Judge  Armstrong 
had  them  searched,  and  not  being  able  to  identify  them  as  the  per- 
petrators  of  the   robbery,  and   after  apologizing  to  them   for  the  indig- 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  123 


nitv  they  had  suffered,  they  were  discharged.  As  soon  as  Bouve 
and  Her  had  retired  Judge  Armstrong  suggested  to  Marshal  Riley 
that  he  had  better  keep  an  eye  on  them  so  that  he  could 
find  them  in  the  morning.  The  Judge  then  sent  Mr.  Taylor  home 
with  directions  to  bring  his  wife  and  hired  man  to  the  city  before 
noon  of  the  next  day.  Next  morning  Marshal  Riley  was  directed  to 
re-arrest  Bouve  and  Her,  on  whom  he  had  kept  a  strict  watch. 
After  their  release  they  had  gone  back  to  the  saloon  under  the  Western 
Exchange  building,  and  in  a  braggadocio  style  swore  that  they  would 
"  make  the  town  ring,"  as  they  had  plenty  of  money  which  they 
were  expecting  from  friends  in  a  day  or  two.  When  they  left  the 
saloon  in  the  morning  they  were  followed  by  Riley  down  to  the 
river  where  he  arrested  them.  They  were  no  doubt  intending  to  go 
to  the  spot  where  they  had  buried  their  plunder.  Marshal  Riley 
brought  the  men  before  Judge  Armstrong.  Mrs.  Taylor  had  arrived 
in  the  city  by  this  time  and  had  been  placed  in  a  back  room  by 
Ju  l^e  Armstrong,  unobserved  by  anybody.  The  court  room  was 
thronged  with  spectators,  who  were  directed  to  arrange  themselves 
against  the  sides  of  the  room,  and  Bouve  and  Her  were  placed 
among  the  crowd.  Mrs.  Taylor  was  then  brougnt  forth.  Her  pres- 
ence created  quite  a  sensation.  She  was  a  tall,  slim,  stately  woman, 
past  the  meridian  of  life,  her  pale,  intelligent  face  had  a  weird  ex- 
pression, and  altogether  she  impressed  the  lookers-on  with  the  fact 
that  she  was  no  ordinary  woman  and  one  that  had  evidently  seen 
better  days.  The  Judge  stated  to  her  why  he  had  sent  for  her,  and 
asked  her  if  she  would  know  the  men  who  had  robbed  her  if  she 
should  see  them  again.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  and  sti  iking  a  tragic 
attitude,  screamed  out,  "  Yes,  I  could  tell  them  among  ten  thousand 
people  !"  She  then  began  at  the  head  of  the  line,  looking  steadfastly 
into  the  eyes  of  each  man  as  she  slowly  passed  along.  Finally  she 
stopped     in    front    of    Bouve,    and    exclaimed,    " You    are    the    man!     I 


i.v,  i/ is  ran  2'  of  omaha. 

know  you  even  if  you  have  shaved  off  your  whisliers,  for  I  never 
can  forget  those  eyes  !"  This  act  of  identification  was  a  thrilling 
episode,  and  the  crowd  felt  relieved  from  the  suspense  in  which  they 
had  been  held  up  to  this  time.  Mrs.  Taylor  then  walked  along  the 
line  a  few  steps  farther  and  halted  in  front  of  Her,  saying,  "And 
you  are  the  other  man  ;  you  saved  my  life.  It  was  you  who  saidr 
'Jim,   don't   shoot  the  old   woman.'  " 

Both  men  were  then  committed  to  jail  and  put  in  separate  cells. 
That  night  a  committee  of  citizens  visited  Bouve  and  informed  him 
that  Her  had  confessed.  They  did  this  in  hopes  to  get  Bouve  to 
commit  himself,  but  they  did  not  succeed.  They  then  tried  the  same 
game  on  Her  by  telling  him  that  Bouve  had  confessed.  Thereupon 
Her  told  everything  and  informed  them  where  the  money  was  hidden. 
The  committee,  accompanied  by  Marshal  Riley,  who  took  Her  along, 
then  went  to  the  place,  on  the  bottoms  near  an  old  brick-yard  north  of 
the  present  location  of  the  Union  Pacific  shops,  and  there  by  the  aid 
of  a  lantern  they  found  the  money  and  other  articles.  Her  was  then 
taken   back    to  jail. 

The  next  day  a  large  meeting  was  held  in  front  of  Pioneer  block. 
There  were  over  five  hundred  men  present,  and  among  them  the 
very  best  citizens  of  the  town.  It  was  decided  to  try  Bouve  and 
Her  then  and  there,  by  a  jury  of  twelve  good  men.  The  jurymen 
were  selected,  and  the  trial  proceeded  in  a  room  in  Pioneer  Block. 
Win.  A.  Little,  afterwards  Chief  Justice,  and  Robert  A.  Howard  defended 
the  prisoners,  and  pleaded  eloquently  for  the  law  to  be  allowed  to  take 
its  course.  The  jury  found  the  men  guilty  of  the  offense  charged, 
and  the  question  was  whether  they  should  be  turned  over  to  the  vigil- 
ance committee,  with  the  recommendation  that  Her  should  be  treated 
leniently.  The  question  was  also  put  to  the  crowd  outside,  after  they 
had  been  addressed  pro  and  con  by  several  eloquent  speakers,  and 
they   voted  in   accordance   with  the  verdict  of  the   jury,  that  the    vigil- 


HIS  TOR  r    OF    OMAHA.  125 


ance  committee  should  dispose  of  the  case.  They  voted  by  stepping 
across  a  dividing  line,  and  when  the  crowd  dispersed  it  was  pretty 
generally  understood  that  the  vigilance  committee  would  have  a 
"  neck-tie  sociable  "  that  very  night.  And  so  they  did.  At  midnight 
thev  proceeded  to  the  jail  and  overpowered  Marshal  Riley,  who  was 
in  charge  ;  and  taking  the  keys  from  him,  the  crowd  passed  him  out- 
side over  their  heads.  They  then  unlocked  the  door  of  Bouve's  cell, 
and  hung  him  to  a  beam  in  the  hall,  the  tips  of  his  toes  actually 
touching  the  floor,  so  that  the  planks  had  to  be  taken  up  to  let  him 
have  a  free  swing.  The  county  was  thus  relieved  of  any  further  ex- 
pense or  trouble  in  the  case.  It  is  said  that  he  died  game,  making 
no  confession  and  cursing  the  crowd  in  the  most  bitter  terms.  He 
tis  reported  to  have  killed  several  men  in  Colorado,  being  a  gambler 
and   a   thief  bv   profession,   and  a  daring  desperado. 

A  good  story  is  told  in  connection  with  this  event.  The  men  all 
went  there  disguised,  and  unknown  to  each  other.  While  they  were 
looking  for  a  place  to  hang  Bouve  from,  a  man  who  spoke  through 
his  nose — a  defect  known  to  everybody — exclaimed  in  his'  peculiar  tone 
of  voice,  "  Say,  boys,  here's  a  good  beam  to  hang  him  on."  Every- 
body recognized  him  at  once,  and  the  solemn  scene  was  sandwiched 
with  a  general  laughter  for  a  minute  or  two.  Bouve  was  hung  from 
that  verv  beam.  In  consideration  of  Iler's  efforts  in  behalf  of  Mrs. 
Taylor  at  the  time  of  the  robbery,  and  his  confession,  he  was  set 
free  by  the  vigilantes,  who  directed  him  to  leave  the  country.  They 
nearly  scared  the  life  out  of  him  by  firing  their  revolvers  after 
him  as  he  rapidly  disappeared  out  of  sight  in  the  darkness.  He  went 
as  far  as  Bellevuc  and  obtained  employment  in  a  saw-mill,  but  a  few 
months  after  he  enlisted  in  Captain  YV.  G.  Ilollins'  company  of  vol 
unteers,  served  through  the  war  and  received  an  honorahle  discharge 
as   sergeant. 

This    hanging    affair,    which    was    conducted     by    the    best    men   of 


126  I/ISrORT    OF    OMAHA. 

Omaha,  had  a  salutary  effect  on  the  vagabonds  and  desperadoes  who 
then  infested  the  city  and  vicinity,  and  they  made  themselves  very 
scarce    lor  a   long  time    afterwards. 

The  vigilance  committee  had  considerable  work  to  perform  during 
the  early  days  of  Omaha  and  they  did  it  well  and  effectually.  At 
one  time  the  gamblers  became  very  numerous  and  bold,  and  it  was 
decided  to  rid  the  town  of  them.  The  vigilantes  accordingly  proceed- 
ed to  the  rooms  of  the  gamblers  at  a  late  hour  of  the  night,  having 
their  faces  masked,  and  by  the  dim  light  of  a  lantern  would  make 
the  victim  get  up  and  hand  him  a  letter  telling  him  to  travel  within 
the  next  twenty-four  hours.  They  all  stood  with  revolvers  cocked,  and 
in  the  dull  light,  masked  as  they  were,  they  presented  a  hideous  ap- 
pearance. The  victim  of  their  wrath  needed  no  second  warning,  buft 
left  the  town  in  every  case  within  the  given  time.  Another  hint 
to  leave  was  the  painting  of  a  skull-and-cross-bones  on  the  door 
of  the  gambler's  room.  One  hint  of  this  kind  was  sufficient.  It 
was  not  long  before  the  gamblers  betook  themselves  to  a  more  con- 
genial clime. 

In  1859  a  young  man  was  caught  attempting  to  burglarize  a  jewel- 
ry store,  and  was  handed  over  to  the  vigilance  committee,  who  took 
him  to  the  bluff"  just  east  of  the  Herndon  House,  and  informed  him 
that  they  were  going  to  hang  him.  The  fellow  begged  of  one  of  the 
crowd,  whom  he  knew,  to  "  excuse  him  from  hanging  this  time." 
Amid  a  shout  of  laughter,  he  was  strung  up  to  a  tree,  when  some 
one  cut  the  rope,  allowing  him  to  plunge  into  a  snow-drift  fifteen 
feet  deep.  When  he  emerged  he  was  trying  to  loosen  the  rope 
around  his  neck.  The  vigilantes  opened  fire  on  him,  and  he  took  to 
his  heels  down  the  hill  and  over  the  river  on  the  ice,  never  stop- 
ping till  he  reached   Council  Bluffs. 

A  man  engaged  in  passing  counterfeit  money  was  nabbed  by  the 
vigilantes,  who   made  every    arrangement    to    hang    him    in   a  cellar   on 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA.  127 

Farnham  street,  when  he  confessed,  implicating  a  Nebraska  City 
man,  who  thereupon  left  the  country.  The  sheriff  "  rescued  "  the 
man,  by  previous  agreement,  from  the  vigilantes,  and  put  him  in 
jail,  from  which  he  afterwards  escaped  with  several  other  prisoners. 
We  have  related  only  a  few  of  the  exploits  of  the  vigilantes,  but 
they  are  sufficient  to  illustrate  their  operations,  which  were  always 
for  the  good  of  the  community,  and  we  have  yet  to  hear  of  a  case 
wherein   they   made   a    mistake. 


[28 


///S T OR T    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


THE  FIRST  LEGAL  EXECUTIONS. 


THE     MURDER     OF     NEFF    BY      TATOR ARREST,    TRIAL,    CONVICTION    AND 

EXECUTION     OF      THE    MURDERER ILLUSTRATION THE     MURDER     OF 

WOOLSEY    D.    HIGGINS    BY    OTTWAY    G.    BAKER ARREST,    TRIAL,    CON- 
VICTION   AND    EXECUTION    OF    BAKER. 

-OMETIME  in  the  month  of  June,  1863,  a  boy  named 
Horace  Wilson,  employed  by  a  Mr.  Maxwell  to  gather 
drift-wood  on  the  Missouri  river  bottoms  north  of  the 
city,  found  the  dead  body  of  a  man  in  the  stream  near 
the  shore.  He  informed  some  men  in  camp  near  by, 
who  came  and  took  the  body  out  of  the  water.  The 
body  was  bound  around  the  arms  and  neck  with  a 
log  chain,  and  also  around  the  legs  with  another.  An  inquest  was 
held  according  to  law  by  the  coroner,  and  the  body  was  identified 
as  that  of  one  Isaac  H.  Neff.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  been  most 
foully  and  cruelly  murdered,  and  his  body  loaded  down  with  log 
chains  and  thrown  into  the  river.  It  was  also  ascertained  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days  that  Neff  had  recently  come  from  Denver  to 
Omaha  with  several  unloaded  teams,  in  company  with  one  Cyrus 
H.  Tator.  The  next  discovery  that  was  made  was  that  two  or  three 
of  Neffs  empty  wagons  were  tound  standing  on  the  high  ground  above 
Sulphur  Springs,  where  they  had  remained  a  week  or  two.  A  further 
investigation  disclosed  the   fact  that  Tator  had  left   Omaha  with   a  load 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  129 

of  goods  for  Denver,  a  few  days  before,  taking  with  him  one  of  these 
wagons. 

Thomas  L.  Sutton,  the  sheriff,  then  started  to  overtake  him,  which 
he  did  in  Colfax  county,  where  he  arrested  him  on  the  charge  of 
murder.  He  was  brought  back  to  Omaha,  where  the  District  Court 
was  in  session,  Chief  Justice  Kellogg  presiding.  A  special  grand  jury 
was  immediately  ordered,  and  he  was  indicted  by  them  for  the  killing 
of  Neff  on  the  17th  of  June.  He  was  tried,  convicted  and  sentenced 
to  be    hung. 

Charles  H.  Brown,  assisted  by  Judge  Lake,  who  was  then  prac- 
ticing law,  appeared  for  the  State,  and  Hon.  A.  J.  Poppleton  and 
William  A.  Little  tor  the  defense.  The  argument  of  Mr.  Poppleton 
was  a  most  brilliant,  eloquent  and  logical  effort — in  fact,  it  is  said  by 
those  who  have  known  Mr.  Poppleton  for  twenty  years  to  have  been 
the  best  speech  to  a  jury  that  he  ever  made,  and  we  believe  that 
he  himself  so  considered  'it  then  and  is  of  the  same  opinion 
still. 

The  case  was  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court  by  the  defense,  and 
the   decision   of  the   court   below   was  affirmed. 

The  object  of  the  murder  was  robbery.  It  was  supposed  that  Neff 
had  considerable  money  on  his  person.  After  Tator  killed  Neff  he 
sold  the  dead  man's  teams  to  Heber  P.  Kimball,  then  living  at  or 
near  the  Mormon  town  of  Florence,  but  now  a  prominent  man  among 
the  Mormons  in  Utah.  Kimball  was  one  of  the  most  important  wit- 
against  the  defendant.  Tator  had  also  tried  to  sell  the  wagons, 
but   failing  in   this,   he   left   them   where   they    were  found. 

The  execution  took  place  on  Friday,  August  2S,  1863,  it  being  the 
first  legal  execution  that  ever  occurred  in  the  Territory,  although  there 
luul  previously  been  several  hangings  by  lynch  law.  There  were 
about  two  thousand  spectators  present,  among  them  being  persons 
from    all    parts   of  the    Territory    and    from    western    Iowa. 


13° 


BISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


At  the  request  of  Sheriff  Sutton,  Gen.  McKean  detailed  a  guard 
of  forty  soldiers  from  Company  C,  7th  Iowa  cavalry,  who  preserved 
the  strictest  order  on   the  occasion. 

Rev.  T.  B.  Lemon,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  administered  the  Holy 
Communion  to  the  prisoner  in  his  cell  in  the  morning,  and  afforded 
him    all   the   spiritual   consolation   in   his  power. 

At  11  a.  m.  Sheriff  Sutton  brought  the  prisoner  out  from  his 
cell,  and  assisted  by  City  Marshal  Thomas  Riley,  placed  him  in  a 
buggy  and  drove  to  the  place  of  execution,  the  military  forming  a 
hollow  square  about  the  vehicle.  The  road  was  lined  with  buggies, 
wagons,  and  people  of  all  ages,  sexes  and  colors,  on  horseback  and 
on   foot. 

The  place  of  execution  was  near  Sulphur  Springs,  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  *he  spot  where  the  murder  was  committed. 

The  scaffold  was  a  plain  frame,  four  beams  erect,  with  a  platform 
and  trap  door,  with  steps  leading  up  to  the  platform.  A  short  seat 
on  each  side  of  the  platform,  where  were  seated  Rev.  Mr.  Lemon, 
the   prisoner  Tator,    Sheriff  Sutton   and   Marshal    Riley. 

The  prisoner  did  not  appear  greatly  depressed,  but  assumed  a 
cheerful  rather  than  a  despondent  look.  In  fact  he  was  remarkably 
self-possessed  for  one  under  such  dreadful  circumstances.  This  self- 
possession  which  he  had  maintained  all  through  his  trial  and  im- 
prisonment  never  deserted    him,    not   even   at  the    last    moment. 

The  prisoner  addressed  the  assembled  multitude  from  the  scaffold, 
from  his  manuscript,  for  about  half  an  hour,  reviewing  the  trial,  the 
circumstances  of  his  arrest,  and  maintaining  his  innocence.  He  read 
his  address  in  a  full,  clear  tone  with  some  considerable  emotion,  but 
with  scarcely  any  perceptible  trembling.  Among  other  things  that  he 
said  was  that  he  did  not  suppose  so  many  people  had  assembled  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  witnessing  the  suffering  he  was  about  to  endure, 
but  more  to  see  and  hear  what  he  had  to  say  on  the  occasion. 


HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 


W 


>.;- 


///ST OR)'    OF    OMAHA. 


\iit  the  conclusion  of  his  address,  a  prayer  was  offered  up  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Lemon.  Sheriff  Sutton  then  placed  the  rope  around  the 
prisoner's  neck,  and  assisted  by  Marshal  Riley,  tied  his  hands  be- 
hind his  back,  drew  the  black  cap  over  his  head,  pushed  the  lever 
and  the  trap  door  flew  open,  launching  Cyrus  H.  Tator  into  eternity 
at  exactly  one  o'clo  k  p.  m.,  August  28,  1863.  He  died  almost  with- 
out a  struggle. 

Tator  was  born  in  Chatham,  Columbia  county,  New  York,  in 
1S33.  lie  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Elijah  Payne,  in  the  city  of 
Hudson,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when  about  twenty-two  or 
twenty-three  years  of  age.  In  1S56  he  emigrated  to  Kansas,  and  was 
elected  probate  judge  of  Lykins  count}'  in  1S57,  was  re-elected  in 
1S59,  and  was  afterwards  a  member  of  the  Kansas  legislature.  He 
was  generally  called  Judge  Tator.  In  i860  he  went  to  Colorado,  and 
from  there  he  came  to  Omaha  in  company  with  the  man  he  murder- 
ed. He  left  a  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  E.  Bishop,  to 
whom  he   was   married  in    1858,  and   by   whom  he  had  one  child. 

The  second  legal  execution  in  Omaha  was  that  of  Ottway  G. 
Baker  for  the  murder  of  Woolsey  D.  Higgins.  The  murder,  for 
which  Baker  paid  the  penalty  with  his  life,  was  a  most  brutal  butch- 
ery, and  was  committed  on  the  night  of  the  21st  of  November,  1866, 
at  the  grocery  store  of  Will  R.  King — a  brick  building  at  the 
southeast  of  Farnham  and  Twelfth  streets,  now  occupied  by  express 
offices,  &c.  Higgins,  who  was  a  fine  young  man  and  well  liked  by 
everybody,  was  the  book-keeper  and  Baker  was  the  porter.  They 
slept  together  in  the  store.  Higgins  in  the  afternoon,  after  banking 
hours,  had  received  about  $1,500  in  currency,  and  had  put  it  in  the 
safe,  the  keys  of  which  he  always  carried.  Baker  was  aware  of  the 
fact  that  he  had  received  this  money,  and  resolved  to  obtain  pos- 
session  of  it,  which  he  could  not  very  well  do  without  killing  Hig- 
gins.    The    two     men   retired    as   usual,   Baker  going    to    bed    about  half 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  133 


past  eight,  and  Higgins  some  time  afterwards.  At  the  dead  hour  of 
night  Baker  awoke,  crept  softly  out  of  bed,  and  procuring  an  axe, 
he  returned  to  the  bedside  and  dealt  the  sleeping  Higgins  two  ter- 
rible blows,  which  caused  instant  death.  Baker  then  went  to  the 
safe,  and  with  the  keys  unlocked  it,  taking  out  the  money.  Putting 
on  his  clothes  he  went  out  of  the  back  door,  and  placing  the 
money  in  an  old  tin  can,  he  hid  it  under  the  sidewalk  on  the  west 
side  of  Eleventh  street,  between  Harney  and  Howard  streets  He 
then  returned  to  the  store,  and  descended  to  the  cellar  where  he 
fired  the  building  by  putting  some  boards  up  against  the  floor,  and 
saturating  some  rags  with  coal  oil.  After  applying  the  match  he 
went  to  the  back  door  and  stood  there  with  his  pistol  in  his  hand 
until  the  fire  had  burned  through  the  floor  and  the  smoke  had  filled 
the  room.  His  intention  was  to  utterly  des  roy  all  trace  of  the  ter- 
rible crime  which  he  had  committed.  The  fire  was  discovered  by  an 
outside  party,  and  the  alarm  given  to  the  fire  department,  which 
then  consisted  01  only  one  hand  engine  and  the  hook  and  ladder 
company.  At  about  the  same  time  Baker  fired  a .  shot  into  his  own 
arm,  to  make  it  appear  as  if  some  one  had  entered  the  store,  mur- 
dered Higgins  and  attacked  him,  and  throwing  the  pistol  away,  he 
also  gave  the  alarm,  by  running  out  of  the  back  door  yelling,  "fire! 
murdei !  thieves!"  During  the  progress  of  the  fire  the  revolver  went 
off  several  times,  it  having  become  heated  by  the  flames.  The  fire  was 
extinguished,  and  the  murdered  Higgins  was  found  in  his  bed.  Ba- 
ker immediately  invented  a  rather  plausible  story.  He  said  he  had 
been  awakened  by  the  smoke  coming  into  the  room,  and  that  he 
had  got  up  and  run  to  the  cellar  door,  as  the  fire  appeared  to  be 
in  the  basement,  and  there  he  had  met  some  one  who  fired  at  him, 
wounding  him  in  the  arm,  anil  that  he  then  ran  out  on  the  street 
and    gave    the    alarm. 

His    storv    was   regarded    rather    thin,   as    there    were    many    suspicious 


i34  II/S  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

circumstances  which  pointed  directly  to  him  as  the  perpetrator  of  the 
deed,  and  he  was  taken  into  custody  next  morning.  One  thing  that  led 
to  his  arrest  more  than  anything  else,  was  the  finding  of  a  lot  ot 
matches  scattered  all  over  the  bed.  It  was  thought  that  this  was 
done  by  the  murderer  to  cause  the  bed  to  burn  the  more  rapidly 
when  it  would  take  fire;  but  the  matches  being  on  the  bed  was  a 
pure  accident,  as  was  shown  in  his  confession.  It  appears  that  the 
matches  were  knocked  off  from  a  shelf  on  to  the  bed  by  the  stream 
of  water  from  the  engine.  At  the  examination  before  the  coroner's 
jury  it  was  clearly  demonstrated  from  the  manner  of  the  wound,  that 
no  one  but  himselt  could  have  fired  the  shot  which  hit  him  in  the 
arm.  He  was  held  to  await  the  action  of  the  grand  jury,  who  in- 
dicted him  for  the  murder.  He  was  tried  and  convicted.  Hon.  G. 
W.  Doane,  the  dien  District  Attorney,  and  Hon.  John  I.  Redick, 
now  Associate  Justice  of  New  Mexico,  appeared  for  the  State,  and 
Col.  Savage,  Ben.  Sheiks,  Mr.  Hopkins,  and  Mr.  Parks,  for  the  de- 
fendant. The  case  was  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  overruled 
the  motion  for  a  new  trial,  and  decided  that  the  sentence  of  death 
should  be  executed.  Up  to  this  time — considerably  over  a  year  after 
his  arrest — there  were  some  few  persons  who  believed  him  innocent  ; 
but  upon  learning  that  his  fate  was  irrevocably  fixed,  he  sent  for  his  spir- 
itual adviser,  Father  Egan,  of  the  Catholic  Church,  to  whom  he  made 
a  confession  and  told  where  the  money  was  hid.  Father  Egan,  ac- 
companied by  Col.  Savage  and  John  DeLaney,  accordingly  proceedjed 
to  the  spot  and  there  found  the  money.  Baker  also  confessed  that 
he  had  about  a  month  before  the  murder  set  fire  to  the  wooden 
buildings  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Farnham  and  Thirteenth  streets, 
the  fire  burning  from  the  corner  up  to  Samuel  Burns'  brick  build- 
ing. 

Baker     was  hung  on    St.     Valentine's     day,     February     14th,     1868, 
about  a  quarter   of  a   mile   west     of   Capitol     Square.      The    execution 


HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 


was  superintended  by  Sheriff  Hoel,  Deputy  Sheriff  Seymour  and  Father 
Egan,  and  was  witnessed  by  about  S,ooo  people,  500  of  whom  were 
women. 

The  young  lady  to  whom  Higgins  was  engaged,  Miss  Lizzie 
Herd,  a  very  pretty  girl,  was  so  overcome  at  her  lover's  tragic  death 
that   she    died    within    six    months    after  its  occurrence. 

The  following  is  the  principal  portion  of  Baker's  confession,  which 
was  dated  January  28,    1S68  : 

"  It  is  not  my  intention  to  conceal  anything  connected  with  this 
heinous  crime,  though,  as  the  details  of  the  circumstances  connected 
with  it  will  only  serve  to  open  again  the  yet  bleeding  wounds  of 
Mr.  Higgins  and  his  family,  I  did  not  intend  at  first  to  make  them 
known.  Mr.  Doane,  in  his  theory,  came  very  near  the  facts  in  the 
case.  I  first  planned  this  horrible  crime  in  the  old  store,  but  was 
prevented  from  executing  it  by  God's  mercy  until  that  night  ;  not 
that  there  was  not  money  enough — on  several  occasions  there  was 
more.  I  went  to  bed  that  night  about  half-past  eight ;  what  time 
Higgins  came  to  bed  I  do  not  know.  When  I  waked,  I  got  out  as 
easily  as  possible,  went  all  round  the  center  tier  of  boxes  to  get  on 
the  south  side  of  Higgins,  came  up,  made  one  or  two  offers  [efforts], 
and  was  on  the  point  of  giving  it  up,  when  the  devil  put  it  into 
my  head  that  Higgins  had  only  been  shamming  sleep,  and  would 
tell  all  that  I  had  done.  This  gave  me  the  heart  to  commit  the 
crime.  I  struck  the  first  blow.  He  drew  a  long  breath.  I  thought 
he  was  on  the  point  of  hallooing.  I  gave  him  another ;  then  went 
to  the  safe,  got  the  money,  put  on  my  clothes,  went  out  of  the 
back  door  down  to  where  the  money  was  found,  leaving  the  back 
door  open  till  I  came  back.  I  pulled  off  my  clothes  ;  went  into 
the  cellar,  set  fire  to  the  building  by  setting  some  boards  up  against 
the  floor,  took  the  oil  can,  put  some  coal  oil  in  some  old  rags,  set 
fire     to    them     and    then    went     up     stairs.     I     then    went     to    the    back 


t36  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

door,  and  stood  there  with  the  pistol  in  my  hand  until  the  fire 
burned  through  the  floor  and  the  smoke  had  filled  the  room.  Then 
1  tired  the  shot  which  wounded  my  arm,  then  gave  the  alarm,  and 
throw  the  pistol  away  ;  hut  the  devil  always  looks  out  for  his  own. 
He  carried  it  to  the  fire.  I  ran  out  of  the  back  door,  hallooing 
fire  !  murder  !  thieve  s  !  The  first  man  who  came  up  had  on  a 
gray  overcoat.  At  this  time  I  was  at  the  corner  of  Farnam  and 
Twelfth  streets.  There  I  threw  away  my  hat.  The  man  went  to 
the  engine  house  to  ring  the  bell.  I  ran  backwards  and  forwards 
two  or  three  times  there  ;  when  three  or  four  men  got  there,  I  burst 
in  the  west  side  door  ;  went  in,  got  my  boots,  threw  one  large  case 
of  tobacco  out  of  the  doorway,  and  then  put  on  my  boots.  By  this 
time  there  were  six  or  seven  men  there  ;  then  two  shots  went  off. 
I  got  away  from  the  door,  but  the  other  two  shots  did  not  go  off 
for  some  time,  perhaps  two  minutes.  That  was  all  the  shots  which 
I  heard,  and  it  was  all  that  was  fired,  in  my  belief.  When  the 
crowd  got  there  with  the  engine,  the  west  side  doors  were  closed. 
This  was  some  more  of  the  devil's  work.  Now,  when  the  engine 
began  to  play,  the  fire  had  got  upon  the  swinging  shelf  ;  the 
water  was  now  thrown  upon  the  matches,  which  went  tumbling 
down  on  the  bed.  This  was  not  the  work  of  the  devil  ;  it  was 
God's  hand  which  threw  the  matches  down  to  show  the  devil  that 
he  might  help  the  guilty,  but  God  was  the  one  who  administered 
justice.  The  fact  of  the  matches  being  scattered  all  over  the  bed, 
led  to  my  arrest,  but  they  found  [formed]  no  part  of  my  plan. 
The  lamp  burner  was  an  old  one  which  had  been  saved  from  the 
old  store.  There  was  only  one  fire  kindled  ;  that  was  done  so  as  to 
cause  the  floor  to  break  in  there,  so  that  the  body  would  be 
cru>hed  by  the  weight  of  the  goods.  It  was  not  my  intention  to 
burn  the  whole  store.  There  were  only  five  shots  fired  to  my 
knowledge,    one    before     the     alarm    and    four    after.     There     was     no 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  137 


noise  to  my  knowledge  in  the  store  that  night ;  if  there  was,  it 
was  while  Mr.  Beale  was  there  with  Higgins  :  if  they  made  any, 
it  did  not  awaken  me.  After  I  had  my  arm  dressed,  I  went  back 
to  the  front  of  the  store.  Dr.  Peabody  said  to  me,  '  If  I  had  a 
friend  in  there,  I  would  go  in  in  spite  of  anybody.'  Then  I  broke 
open  the  front  door,  the  one  with  the  lock  on  it.  I  broke  the 
glass  out,  pulled  back  the  bolts  and  went  in,  but  could  not  go 
back  a  great  ways  for  fear  the  floor  would  give  way.  I  dressed 
and  undressed  before  I  gave  the  alarm  ;  then  put  on  my  boots 
after  there  were  three  or  four  men  there.  I  alone  am  guilty  ;  let 
me  pay  the  penalty  of  the  crime.  I  should  have  had  to  implicate 
others   who   are   innocent   had    I    got   a  new    trial. 

"  With  regard  to  the  two  previous  fires,  I  desire  to  state  that  I 
set  the  new  store  on  fire  to  prevent  W.  R.  King  from  moving  in 
so  soon.  I  did  not  stop  there  over  five  minutes  after  I  had  done 
it,  for  fear  I  should  be  missed  from  the  store  ;  then  I  got  back  to 
the  old  store  without  either  Mr.  Nave  or  Higgins  knowing  that  I 
had  been  out,  and  went  to  bed.  Afterwards  I  set  fire  to  Hell- 
man's  warehouse  to  draw  Higgins'  attention,  and  besides  to  prevent 
any  deposits  from  being  made  on  that  day.  When  this  fire  was 
discovered  I  was  at  the  new  store  at  work,  and  had  been  there 
about  twenty  minutes.  I  did  not  start  at  the  first,  but  waited  till 
there  was  quite  a  crowd  ;  then  I  had  no  idea  it  would  do  so 
much    damage  as   it   did. 

"  Mr.  Donovan  has  been  a  sufferer  by  me  also  on  two  different 
occasions.  I  went  into  his  shop  when  he  kept  on  Fourteenth  street, 
and  on  each  occasion  took  two  pairs  of  boots,  amounting  in  all  to 
about   forty    dollars    more    or    less. 

"  I  must  now  return  my  sincere  thanks  to  Judge  Lake  for  his 
leniency  towards  me  all  through  the  trial.  Mr.  Doane  will  also 
accept   my    thanks   for  the  feeling  manner   in    which    he  prosecuted    me. 

'J 


i  ;s  /fISTORl'    OF    OMAHA. 


"  Mr.  Redick,  I  freely  forgive  you  for  the  way  in  which  you  made 
your    plea    in    this   case. 

"  I  must  not  forget  my  own  counsel,  for  they  have  labored  with 
the  utmost  faithfulness  ever  since  I  have  been  incarcerated  to  obtain 
testimony  and  counsel  for  me.  I  return  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  the 
same.  I  am  also  thankful  to  Mr.  Hopkins  ;  also  Mr.  Parks,  who 
exerted  himself  in  my  defense  with  his  able  talent.  Mr.  Morris  has 
not  only  given  me  legal  advice,  but  has  done  me  many  personal 
favors.  Col.  Savage  has  all  the  thanks  imaginable  for  the  able  man- 
ner in  which  he  has  conducted  my  case,  since  he  has  become  con- 
nected with  it.  May  he  never  again  whilst  a  member  of  this  bar 
have    so   unworthy    a  client. 

"  I  have  never  let  any  one  into  my  confidence  until  after  the 
Supreme  Court  was  in  session,  so  that  neither  one  or  the  other  of 
my  counsel  knew  whether  I  was  guilty  or  innocent.  I  thank  the 
community  for  their  leniency  towards  me.  Had  this  been  in  any 
other  part  of  the  State  of  Nebraska,  besides  Omaha,  I  should  never 
have  had  any  trial  ;  but  thank  God,  the  law  has  had  its  course, 
and  I  have  had  a  fair  and  impartial  trial. 
********** 

"  I  desire  also  in  this  connection  to  thank  all  those  who  would 
place  religious  instruction  within  my  reach,  but  I  believe  only  in  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  wish  to  die  in  her  communion,  as  it  was  their 
instruction   alone    that    brought   peace    and  hope   to    my    soul. 

O.  G.  Baker." 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


!39 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


FLORENCE. 


THE     MORMONS ORGANIZATION    OF     THE    FLORENCE    TOW.N     COMPANY 

THE     FINANCIAL     CRASH CLAIM     CLUBS A     LIVELY      ELECTION     AND 

CELEBRATION THE     ADJOURNED    SESSION    OF      THE    LEGISLATURE    AT 

FLORENCE,     AND    OTHER    INCIDENTS. 

HISTORY  of  Omaha  would  be  incomplete  without 
some  reference  to  Florence,  where  the  Mormons 
stopped  in  1846,  and  remained  there  for  some  years, 
during  which  time  the  place  was  called  Winter  Quar- 
ters. It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  they 
were  ordered  off  the  land  by  the  Indian  agent,  to 
whom  the  Indians  had  complained  of  them  for  cutting 
timber,  and  many  re-crossed  the  river  and  lived  among  the  ravines 
in  the  bluffs  on  the  Iowa  shore,  and  also  at  Council  Bluffs.  When 
they  had  determined  to  emigrate  to  Utah,  they  started  nearly  all 
their  trains  for  Salt  Lake  from  Florence,  up  to  about  the  year  1S65, 
which  made  Florence  a  lively  place  and  a  busy  outfitting  point. 
Many  of  our  Omaha  merchants  took  advantage  of  this  state  of  affairs 
to  establish    branch    stores    there,    reaping  quite   a    benefit    therefrom. 

In  1856  the  Florence  Town  Company  was  organized,  the  banking 
house  of  Cook,  Sargent  &  Parker,  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  being  heavily 
interested    in    it. 

It  was  expected  that  the  Mississippi  ^Y.  Missouri  railroad,  now  the 
Chicago    &    Rock     [sland,    would    cross    the    Missouri   river    there,  the 


l4o  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

first    survey    having   been    made    down    the    Pigeon  Valley   in    1854;  but 
the    road   never  got  there. 

In  consequence  of  the  energetic  efforts  made  by  Cook,  Sargent  & 
Parker,  in  tbe  interest  of  Florence,  the  town,  which  had  been  char- 
tered as  a  city  in  iS^f),  kept  on  growing  very  rapidly  until  the  fall 
and  winter  of  1S57-5S,  when  Cook,  Sargent  &  Parker  went  down,  as 
did  nearly  every  other  banking  house  in  the  country  during  that 
memorable  financial  crisis,  and  then  the  town  began  to  go  backward. 
A  claim  club  had  been  organized  there,  and  acted  in  the  same 
manner   as    did   similar   clubs    in    the  early    days    of  the  Territory. 

Among  the  people  of  Florence  the  Germans  were  very  numer- 
ous, and  in  1S56  and  1857  they  had  a  theatre  in  full  operation,  and 
went  so  far  as  to  attempt  the  representation  of  Schiller's  "  Robbers." 
On  the  4th  of  July,  1S57,  one  Biggs,  a  blacksmith,  stabbed  and 
killed  a  man  named  Kingsley,  the  latter  having  been  too  inti- 
mate with  Biggs'  wife.  Biggs  gave  himself  up  to  Dr.  Heath, 
then  city  mayor,  who  turned  Biggs  over  to  the  sheriff  at  Omaha. 
The  sheriff  allowed  Biggs  to  take  a  swim  in  the  river,  and  he 
crossed  over  to  the  Iowa  shore,  and  has  never  been  heard  of  from 
that  day    to    this. 

In  August,  1857,  an  election  was  held  in  the  Territory,  at  which 
election  Florence  gave  Fenner  Ferguson,  who  was  running  for  dele- 
gate to  Congress,  700  votes.  When  the  news  came  that  Ferguson  had 
been  elected  over  Thayer  and  other  candidates,  a  grand  jubilee  was 
held  at  Florence.  An  iron  cannon,  which  was  brought  out  and  fired, 
exploded,  killing  Dr.  Hardcastle,  who  had  served  in  the  Mexican 
war. 

In  the  winter  of  1857-58  a  singing  society  and  a  brass  band 
were  organized.  A  newspaper,  called  The  Courier,  was  pub- 
lished there,  but  it  could  not  have  been  in  a  very  flourishing  con- 
dition,   for  a    ball    was  given    in    its    behalf,  by    which   $40  was    realized. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  141 

During  the  same  winter  the  legislature  at  Omaha  broke  up  in  a 
big  row,  and  adjourned  to  Florence,  and  there  held  its  session  in 
two  adjoining  stores,  formerly  occupied  by  Baugh  and  Heath  & 
Grseter.  Over  the  rear  doors  of  these  stores  were  painted  the  words. 
'Terms  Cash,"  which,  it  is  said,  scared  away  many  applicants  for 
bridge,    ferry,  and  other  charters. 

These  two  buildings  were  afterwards  removed  to  Omaha  and  were 
occupied  by  Dewey  &  Stone,  the  furniture  dealers,  till  last  year, 
when  they  tore  them  down  and  erected  in  their  place  the  largest 
brick  business    building    in    Omaha. 

Since  1858  Florence  has  gradually  receded,  until  it  is  now  a  very 
small    place,  but    a    very    pleasant   suburb  of  Omaha. 


M- 


1 1 1ST  OR  T    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE    PAWNEE    WAR. 


AN"    INDIAN    SCARE THE    MILITIA     CALLED      OUT A    BRIEF      BUT      GLORI- 
OUS   CAMPAIGN — ALL'S    WELL    THAT    ENDS    WELL. 

MAHA  bore  a  prominent  part  in  that  episode  of  our 
Territorial  history  known  as  the  "  Pawnee  War,"  which 
event  occurred  in  the  summer  of  1S59,  anc*  the  follow 
ing  chapter  of  the  history  of  that  "  war "  is  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  John  T.  Bell,  official  phonographer  of  the 
District  Court.  At  the  time  of  its  occurrence  he  was 
a  mere  boy,  but  nevertheless  he  took  part  in  the  cam- 
paign, and  his  recollection  of  the  affair  being  yet  fresh,  he  is  enabled 
to    present  the    facts    in    a    reliable   and    entertaining  manner. 

The  Pawnee  Indians  then  occupied  two  villages  about  twelve  miles 
directly  south  of  Fontenelle,  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  Platte. 
They  had  behaved  themselves  very  well,  considering  that  their  depre- 
dations consisted  chiefly  in  robbing  hen  roosts  and  picking  up  little 
odds  and  ends  of  personal  effects  belonging  to  the  whites,  and  the 
settlers  had  concluded  there  was  no  danger  whatever  to  be  appre- 
hended from  them,  but  in  this  they  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 
In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1859,  the  entire  tribe  of  Pawnees — 
braves,  squaws,  pappooses  and  dogs — left  their  villages  and  marched 
across  the  low  land  intervening  between  the  Platte  and  the  Elkhorn 
on   the  western     side    of  the  latter  stream  just  across  from    Fontenelle. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  143 

Here  they  remained  a  day  or  two  ;  after  which  short  delay,  they  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Elkhorn,  without  crossing  it,  pursuing  a  northwesterly 
direction.  They  said  they  were  going  up  the  river  on  a  grand  buffalo 
hunt,  and  would  be  gone  several  "moons."  On  the  day  after  they 
left  their  first  camp  on  the  Elkhorn.  half  a  dozen  "bucks"  crossed 
the  river  at  a  point  about  a  dozen  miles  above  Fontenelle,  and  at- 
tacked an  old  bachelor  by  the  name  of  Uriah  Thomas,  who  was  liv- 
ing alone  in  a  little  log  hut  some  distance  from  any  other  house. 
The  Indians  took  his  pocket-book,  containing  $136,  a  package  of  val- 
uable papers,  including  several  land  warrants,  drank  up  all  his  whisky 
(the  unkindest  cut  of  all)  and  then  drove  off  a  fine  yoke  of  oxen, 
after  first  having  taken  the  precaution  to  lock  Mr.  Thomas  up  in  his 
shanty.  After  the  Indians  had  been  gone  for  some  time,  Thomas 
set  about  effecting  his  release,  which  he  accomplished  with  but  little 
difficulty,  and  then  cautiously  proceeded  to  Fontenelle  and  gave  the 
alarm.  Of  course,  the  wildest  excitement  prevailed.  A  company  of 
a  dozen  men  or  so  was  immediately  organized,  and  an  advance  was 
made  upon  the  Thomas  mansion,  after  a  careful  reconnoitering  by 
scouts.  No  Indians  were  discovered,  and  the  party  concealed  them- 
selves in  and  about  the  hut,  and  waited  patiently  for  several  hours  ; 
but  no  Indians  making  their  appearance,  the  whites  returned  to  Fon- 
tenelle. Two  days  afterwards,  the  people  living  at  West  Point  and 
DeWitt  came  down  to  Fontenelle  in  a  body,  and  reported  that  as 
the  Pawnees  moved  up  the  river,  on  the  western  side  of  it,  ma- 
rauding bands  had  crossed  over  to  the  eastern  side,  and  had  burned 
the  dwellings  of  the  settlers,  ripped  up  their  feather  beds,  scattered 
the  contents,  and  used  the  ticks  for  blankets  ;  tore  to  pieces  clocks 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  brass  rings  to  bang  in  their  ears, 
and    drove   off  all    kinds    of  stock. 

This    was    a    fine  state   of    affairs.     Thirty     men,   armed    with    rifles, 
shot-guns,    muskets,   and     revolvers,    started     for    West    Point     the    next 


1 44  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

morning  in  wagons,  reaching  that  settlement  about  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon.  They  saw  no  Indians  that  day,  and  after  deliberating  over 
the  matter,  concluded  to  return  to  Fontenelle  the  next  day,  but  con- 
cluded before  doing  so  to  send  a  portion  of  the  party  to  DeWitt, 
some  six  miles  up  the  Elkhorn.  As  this  detachment  was  on  the  point 
of  returning  to  West  Point  to  rejoin  the  others,  having  met  no  red- 
skins, a  scout  came  in  with  the  information  that  he  had  seen  a  small 
body  of  Indians  crossing  the  river  a  mile  or  so  distant.  Arrange- 
ments were  instantly  made  to  capture  the  party.  A  portion  of  the 
white  men  took  position  in  one  room  of  Mr.  Moore's  double  log 
house,  while  the  rest  kept  themselves  out  of  sight.  The  people  of 
the  house  were  instructed  to  admit  the  Indians  into  the  unoccupied 
room  of  the  house,  and  after  they  were  all  in  the  room,  the  out- 
side door  was  to  be  securely  fastened,  then  the  middle  ddor  between 
the  rooms  was  to  be  opened ;  the  white  men  were  to  rush  from  the 
room  in  which  they  were  concealed  into  that  occupied  by  the 
Indians,  and  then  their  capture  would  be  a  very  easy  matter — 
as  they  thought.  It  was  a  very  neat  little  plan,  and  looked  well, 
but  it  didn't  result  as  well  as  it  was  expected.  The  Indians,  eleven 
in  number,  approached  the  house ;  they  were  invited  to  walk  in, 
which  invitation  was  accepted,  as  it  was  evidently  their  intention 
to  walk  in  whether  they  were  invited  or  not ;  the  outside  door  to 
the  room  was  closed  and  fastened  ;  the  signal  was  given  ;  the  door 
between  the  two  rooms  was  opened  ;  the  white  men  rushed  with 
a  yell  into  the  room  which  was  occupied  by  the  Indians — and, 
captured  the  whole  posse  ?  Not  much.  The  greasy-skinned,  slip- 
pery devils  shed  their  blankets,  dived  down  among  the  legs  of 
the  white  men,  slipped  out  like  so  many  eels,  burst  open  the  door 
and  were  out  of  the  room  like  a  flash,  and  all  the  white  men  had 
to  show  for  their  strategem  was  the  lodgement  of  a  slug  in  the 
vrist  of    one     of    their     own    number — Mr.     James    H.     Peters — which 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  H5 


was  brought  about  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun  during  the 
melee  in  the  room.  The  Indians  were  followed  out  01  the  house 
by  the  whites  who  blazed  away  at  them  as  they  ran  toward  the 
river.  Two  or  three  of  the  Indians  were  killed  and  one  wounded ; 
one  was  captured,  having  been  brought  down  "  on  the  wing "  by  a 
shot   which  should  have   been  better  aimed. 

The  whites  then  hastily  got  their  wagons  together,  put  the  wounded 
Indian  in  one  of  them,  and  started  back  to  Fontenelle,  being  very 
anxious  to  vacate  that  particular  section  of  the  country  before  the 
Indians  who  had  made  their  escape  from  the  house  should  reach  the 
Pawnee  camps,  and  tell  the  tribe  of  the  fracas.  The  whites  "stood 
not  upon  the  order  of  their  going,  but  went  at  once,"  rattling  over 
the  level  prairie  road  at  a  decidedly  rapid  pace.  They  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  before  the  wounded  Indian  gave  evidence  of  being  dead. 
He  was  closely  examined  by  those  in  the  wagon,  who  agreed  unani- 
mously that  he  was  defunct— that  he  would  never  again  smash  up  a 
brass  clock  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  wheels  to  hang  in  his  ears, 
nor  rip  up  a  feather  bed  in  order  to  get  a  substitute  for  a  blanket. 
He  was  a  goner,  and  as  it  would  not  pay  to  haul  dead  Indians,  the 
wagon  was  driven  to  the  bank  of  the  Elkhorn,  near  which  the  road 
ran,  and  the  corpse  was  picked  up  and  pitched  into  the  river.  As  soon 
as  the  supposed-to-be-dead  Indian  struck  the  water,  he  dived  down 
and  swam  under  water  for  the  opposite  bank,  and  it  was  then  dis- 
covered that  he  had  been  playing  "possum,"  and  that  he  was  better 
than  a  dozen  dead  men  yet.  But  even  an  Indian  cannot  stay  under 
water  all  the  time  ;  he  must  come  up  to  breathe,  and  when  thai 
red  rascal's  head  broke  the  surface  of  the  stream,  as  he  came  up  to 
get  a  whiff  of  air,  a  load  of  buckshot  was  deposited  in  the  back 
portion  ot  his  cranium  by  a  white  man  who  never  could  appreciate 
a  practical  joke,  and  had  but  a  poor  opinion  of  jokers,  whether  white, 
black,  or   red.     The    buckshot   was    evidently   too   heavy    a   load    for  the 


,.,(.  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

Indian    to   carry    conveniently,   for   he   never   reached  the   other   side  of 
the   river  alive. 

It  did  not  take  many  days  for  the  news  with  regard  to  the  kill- 
the  Indians  at  West  Point  to  he  carried  to  every  part  of  the 
rerritory,  and  the  entire  country  was  in  a  blaze  of  excitement.  It 
was  generally  thought  that  the  Pawnees  would  at  once  declare  war 
against  the  white-,  and  the  outlying  settlements  were  supposed  to  be 
in  danger  of  immediate  extermination.  Governor  Black  issued  orders 
to  the  few  militia  companies  then  organized,  to  hold  themselves  in 
readiness  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  muskets  were  shipped 
to  the  different  settlements,  with  orders  for  the  immediate  organiza- 
tion of  other  companies.  The  settlers  along  the  Elkhorn  river  flocked 
to  Fontenelle,  which  village  was  turned  into  a  military  camp.  The 
growing  crops  were  neglected,  and  suffered  much  damage  thereby. 
Pickets  were  thrown  out  during  the  day,  and  a  cordon  of  sentinels 
surrounded  the  place  at  night.  All  the  ammunition  was  collected 
together,  and  pewter  teapots,  teaspoons,  etc.,  were  moulded  into 
bullets.  Blunderbusses  which  had  done  good  service  in  patriot  hands 
during  the  revolutionary  war,  and  which  had  not  been  loaded  nor 
cleaned  since,  were  dragged  forth  and  burnished  up.  Old  sabres 
which  had  figured  prominently  on  "  muster  days"  celebrated  by  the 
forefathers  of  the  present  owners,  were  produced,  and  measures 
adopted  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  them  to  leave  their  scabbards 
from  which  they  had  not  been  drawn  for  years.  It  was  reported 
every  day  for  a  week  that  ten  thousand  Indians  were  approaching 
the  town  fully  attired  in  the  traditional  war  paint  and  feathers,  and 
in  consequence  of  these  cheerful  stories  the  people  were  constantly 
kept  in  a  pleasant  state  of  exciting  suspense.  At  night  each  bush  or 
>hrub   would   be    transformed   into  a  stealthily  approaching   redskin. 

A    week  of  this  sort    ot  life  drifted  by,  and  no  attack  had  been  made. 
By    this    time    a    force    of  about    two   hundred    men   had  gathered   in 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  147 

and  about  Fontenelle,  and  it  was  then  resolved  by  the  officials  of  the 
Territory  that  it  would  be  a  fine  stroke  of  policy  to  cross  the  Elk- 
horn,  follow  the  trail  of  the  Indians  until  they  were  overtaken,  and 
then  and  there  attack  them  and  administer  a  lesson  which  they 
would  not  soon  forget.  A  sufficient  number  of  wagons  were  provided 
with  the  necessary  camp  equipage  and  a  large  amount  of  provisions 
'several  barrels  of  whisky  being  included  in  the  latter),  and  on  the 
5th  day  of  July  the  force  moved  across  the  river,  and  went  into 
camp  on  Maple  creek,  a  few  miles  from  Fontenelle.  Gov.  Black  ac- 
companied the  expedition,  of  which  he  was  the  commander-in-chief, 
though  the  battalion  was  under  the  command  of  Colonel — since 
Major  General — Thayer,  which  gentleman  had  served  in  the  Mexican 
difficulty,  and  was  consequently  supposed,  by  a  credulous  public,  to 
be   thoroughly  conversant   with    the    art   of  war. 

Omaha  was  represented  in  the  expedition  by  a  gun  squad,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  James  Ford  (who  became  a  general  during  the 
war),  and  of  which  most  of  the  young  men  of  the  city  were  mem- 
ber-. Among  those  who  went  out  as  members  of  this  organization 
and  otherwise  were  Capt.  Ford,  Hobart  Ford,  Si  De  Forest,  Bob 
Howard,  U.  S.  Marshal  West,  George  and  Ed  Hepburn,  Gen.  Esta- 
brook,  George  Armstrong— mounted  on  his  famous  bob-tailed  black 
trotter — Charles  Woolworth,  A.  S.  Paddock,  James  G.  Chapman, 
Cam.  Reeves,  John  McConihe,  Dr.  Henry,  Maj.  J.  II.  Croft,  W.  J. 
Kennedy.  Dr.  J  II.  Peck  accompanied  the  "army  "as  surgeon,  driving 
in  a  single  buggy  his  chestnut-sorrel  "Mack,"  which  horse  is  still  in 
his  possession  and  frisky  as  a  colt. 

Our  mounted  force  always  rode  at  the  head  of  the  columns,  pre- 
ceded by  a  few  scouts,  a  considerable  distance  in  advance.  The  sun 
beat  down  upon  us  with  terrible  force,  and  the  sandy  stretches  of 
country  over  which  we  passed,  at  intervals,  threw  out  an  immense 
amount   of    heat.     Our   horse-   were   very   poor   and    weak,   and    the    ex- 


1  Is 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


cessive  heal  together  with  the  heavy  loads,  soon  began  to  tell  on 
them,  and  consequently  the  progress  made  was  very  slow  indeed. 
We  had  no  roads,  as  the  country  had  not  yet  been  surveyed,  and  no 
settlements  had  been  made.  We  struck  the  trail  of  the  Indians  and 
Followed  it  steadily,  over  hills,  through  valleys,  and  across  streams, 
which  last  named  were  always  miry.  Here  we  would  generally  be 
delayed  somewhat,  as  a  bridge  of  some  description  was  required  be- 
fore we  could  get  the  wagons  across.  A  force  would  be  set  to  work 
to  cut  brush,  while  another  would  mow  down  the  heavy  slough  grass. 
The  brush  would  be  thrown  into  the  stream,  the  grass  piled  on  the 
brush,  and  then  if  the  banks  were  very  steep,  the  horses  would  be 
unhitched  from  the  wagons,  which  would  be  let  down  by  ropes,  and 
then  drawn  up  the  opposite  banks  by  the  teams  which  had  been 
previously  taken  across.  Notwithstanding  the  many  difficulties  en- 
countered, we  usually  traveled  as  far  in  one  day  as  the  Indians  we 
were  pursuing  would  march  in  three,  it  being  an  easy  matter  to  lo- 
cate the  places  where  they  had  camped  each  night,  these  encamp- 
ments being  about  seven  miles  apart.  The  utmost  precaution  against 
surprise  was  observed  when,  at  the  close  of  a  long,  tedious  day,  a  con- 
venient spot  for  a  camp  would  be  selected,  the  wagons  corralled,  and 
the  animals  turned  out  to  graze.  At  an  early  hour  in  the  night, 
sentinels  would  be  posted  all  around  the  camp,  and  relieved  every 
two  hours.  After  about  a  week's  travel,  during  which  we  had  not 
seen  a  human  being,  excepting  those  of  our  own  party,  we  came  one 
evening  upon  a  single  Indian  lodge.  We  knew  that  we  could  not 
be  very  far  behind  the  Indians,  as  the  last  few  camps  we  had  passed 
gave  unmistakable  signs  of  having  been  but  recently  vacated,  and 
when  this  lodge  was  discovered,  it  was  surrounded  at  once,  and  found 
to  be  occupied  by  "Jim  Dick,"  an  under  chief  among  the  Omahas, 
who  told  us  that  the  Pawnees  had  been  joined  by  the  Omaha  and 
Ponca   tribes,  and   that   with   this   increase   of  their  numbers,  there  were 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  149 

at  least  5,000  Indians  in  the  party  we  were  in  pursuit  of,  and  that 
they  would  encamp  that  night  about  seven  or  eight  miles  farther  on, 
having  occupied  the  camp  at  which  we  found  Jim  Dick's  lodge,  the 
night  previous,  he  having  laid  over  one  day's  tramp  on  account  of 
his  squaw  being  sick.  This  somewhat  startling  news  called  forth  a 
hurried  consultation.  Five  thousand  Indians  could  utterly  annihi- 
late our  force  of  two  hundred  undisciplined  and  poorly  armed  men, 
provided  the  Indians  were  disposed  to  fight.  Jim  Dick  told  us  that 
the  Omahas  would  not  join  the  Pawnees  as  they  wished  to  remain  at 
peace  with  the  whites,  but  it  was  impossible  to  say  what  the  Poncas 
would  do.  It  was  finally  determined  to  go  forward.  The  Omaha 
and  his  squaw  were  compelled  to  go  with  us  under  guard,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  news  of  our  approach  being  conveyed  to  the  Indians, 
in  camp. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  we  came  upon  the  lodge,  and  we  pro- 
ceeded but  a  mile  or  so  before  going  into  camp.  Arrangements 
were  made  to  start  out  as  silently  as  possible,  at  three  o'clock  the 
next  morning.  After  supper  had  been  disposed  of,  the  cooking  uten- 
sils and  camp  equipage  were  re-loaded,  and  everything  made  ready 
for  a  start  as  soon  as  the  signal  should  be  given.  The  arms  were 
put  in  as  good  condition  as  possible  ;  bullets  were  moulded,  and 
each  man  was  instructed  with  regard  to  his  duties.  It  was  a  misty 
moon-light  night.  The  camp  was  near  the  banks  of  the  Elkhorn, 
whose  waters,  rising  in  the  far  off  Black  Hills,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain^,  rippled  past  with  a  monotonous  sound.  Occasion- 
ally the  sharp  cry  of  the  coyote  would  be  heard,  as  he  wandered 
forth  on  a  marauding  expedition,  or  the  hoot  of  the  owl  would 
break  suddenly  on  the  night  air.  The  sentinels  paced  up  and  down 
through  the  tall  grass,  watching  with  vigilant  eye  and  prepared  to 
give  notice  at  the  earliest  approach  of  danger,  The  tired  animals 
nipped     the     rich     grass,   which     abounded     in     the   greatest    profusion. 


II IS  TOR  2-    OF    OMAHA. 


keeping  close  to  the  wagons,  as  they  always  do  when  away  from 
the  settlements,  evidently  being  taught  by  instinct  that  their  safety 
depends  upon  keeping  close  to  their  masters.  Orders  were  given  for 
the  tires  to  be  extinguished  at  an  early  hour,  and  the  men  gathered 
about  the  wagons  i  .  little  groups,  and  talked  in  low  tones  of  what 
the  coming  day  would  bring  forth.  There  was  but  little  sleeping 
among  us  that  night,  but  few  jokes,  and  no  boisterous  laughter.  It 
will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  the  situation  was  not  particularly  ex- 
hilarating nor  inspiring.  We  were  a  hundred  miles  or  so  out  from 
the  settlements,  shut  off  from  all  chance  of  reinforcement.  We  were 
in  pursuit  of,  and  expected  to  attack  the  Pawnee  tribe,  numbering 
3,^00  in  all,  and  this  tribe  we  found  on  coming  up  with  it,  to  be 
reinforced  by  nearly  as  many  more,  so  that  if  they  were  all  "  on 
the  fight,"  there  would  be  at  least  2,000  braves  for  us  to  attack,  and 
we  were  then  within  a  few  miles  of  that  body  of  Indians  who  were 
quietlv  encamped  and  resting  in  blissful  ignorance  of  our  proximity. 
At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  camp  was  aroused,  and  in  a 
vers  short  time  we  were  on  the  move.  Orders  were  issued  in  a  low 
tone  as  we  passed  rapidly  along.  The  trail  ran  near  the  river  bot- 
tom, on  the  table-land  adjoining,  and  we  met  with  no  obstacles 
whatever  until  daylight,  when  we  came  to  a  small  stream  which 
ran  out  from  the  bluffs  and  into  the  river.  Tbe  scouts  approached 
this  stream  carefully,  for  it  was  thought  the  Indian  camp  could  not 
be  tar  away.  The  creek  was  skirted  with  timber,  which  shielded  our 
approach ;  and  when  the  stream  was  reached,  the  Indian  camp  was 
seen  on  the  opposite  side,  near  where  it  ran  into  the  river.  A  large 
extent  of  ground  was  covered  by  the  lodges,  and  here  and  there  In- 
dians were  to  be  seen  gliding  about,  entirely  unconscious  of  our  ap- 
proach. In  a  very  few  moments,  however,  we  were  discovered,  and 
the  camp  vanished  like  magic,  and  in  an  incredible  short  space  "of 
time    the  wide    river  bottom    stretching    out    before    us     was    swarming 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


with  redskins,  some  mounted,  some  on  foot,  but  all  striving,  shout- 
in^  and  veiling,  to  make  their  escape.  They  leveled  their  lodges  to 
the  ground,  but  did  not  attempt  to  take  them  away  ;  they  thought 
onlv  to  save  themselves.  The  Omahas  did  not  run,  neither  did  they 
strike  their  tents,  but  remained  in  them  knowing  they  had  no  reason 
to  fear  the  whites.  Our  mounted  force  crossed  the  river  at  once 
and  followed  up  the  flying  Indians,  but  some  time  was  lost  in  getting 
the  wagons  across  the  miry  stream.  Finally  the  entire  torce,  wagons 
and  all,  were  safely  landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  creek, 
and  moved  up  the  river  at  once.  The  tall  slough  grass  through 
which  we  passed  concealed  a  good  many  of  the  weaker  ones  among 
the  Indians,  who,  finding  themselves  unable  to  keep  up  with  the 
others,  had  dropped  down  in  the  rank  grass,  hoping  to  be  passed 
bv.  On  either  side  of  us  could  be  heard  the  yells  and  cries  of  pap- 
pooses,  who  had  been  thrown  away  by  the  frightened  squaws,  in  their 
endeavors  to  "'travel  light."  Small  dogs,  pet  badgers,  wolves  and 
the  like  had  been  left  by  their  masters  to  shift  for  themselves,  and 
they  added  their  voices  to  the  noise  and  confusion.  It  was  a  lively 
time.  The  'sun  had  just  risen,  and  was  tipping  the  tops  of  the  hills 
and  the  trees'  along  the  river  with  golden  splendor.  In  a  very  short 
time  not  an  Indian  was  to  be  seen,  where  but  half  an  hour  before 
hundreds  and  thousands  had  swarmed.  They  had  taken  shelter  among 
the  willows  on  the  river  bank,  and  in  the  breaks  along  the  bluffs 
on    either  side    of  it. 

But  they  did  not  escape  us.  An  under  chief  01  the  Pawnees,  a  fat 
old  codger,  who  was  trying  to  get  away  on  foot,  was  overtaken  by 
a  horseman  who  shot  at  him  and  missed  him,  but  just  as  he  had 
secured  a  better  aim  for  a  second  attempt,  tin-  Indian  threw  up  his 
hands  and  surrendered.  lie  was  told  to  call  bis  tribe  together  for  a 
parley  immediately,  or  he  would  be  murdered  in  cold  blood.  The 
Indian    was     very    glad    of    t Hi--     chance    for    saving    bis     life,    and    be     at 


[52  HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 

once  set  up  ;i  scries  of  terrific  yells,  in  answer  to  which  one  redskin 
would  show  himself  at  this  place,  another  at  that,  and  then  after  an 
interchange  of  yells  and  calls,  the  Indians  gradually  approached  our 
prisoner,  who  explained  to  them  that  a  parley  with  the  "Chemokee 
man  "   was  of  the  utmost   importance  at  that   particular  juncture. 

By  this  time  our  scattered  forces  had  collected  together;  the  wag- 
ons were  corralled  ;  a  line  of  battle  formed,  with  the  six-pound  brass 
piece  in  front  of  it,  and  *  the  horsemen  on  the  flanks.  When  the 
Indians,  who  were  lurking  about,  discovered  the  full  strength,  or 
weakness  rather,  of  the  force  they  had  been  running  from,  they  left 
their  hiding  places  and  approached  us  quite  readily.  They  were  or- 
dered to  keep  at  a  respectful  distance  in  front,  and  only  the  chiefs  were 
allowed  to  come  to  the  wagons.  The  Indian  force  constantly  re- 
ceived additions  to  its  numbers,  and  before  an  hour  had  passed,  we 
were  confronted  by  about  2,000  redskins.  The  Pawnee  chiefs  were 
told  that  they  could  have  their  choice — give  up  the  braves  who  had 
been  engaged  in  the  robbing  and  burning  about  West  Point  (for  it 
was  found  that  but  a  small  party  had  had  a  hand  in  those  depreda- 
tions) ;  pay  the  expenses  of  the  expedition  out  of  certain  moneys 
due  them  from  the  government,  or — fight  us.  One  of  the  chiefs,  a 
black,  scowling  fellow,  with  a  sort  of  sheep-thief  look  about  him, 
wanted  to  fight  us.  He  said  that  he  had  two  hundred  and  fifty 
braves,  and  he  knew  he  could  clean  us  out,  but  the  older  and  wiser 
heads  of  the  tribe  had  been  to  Washington — that  moral  city  of  which 
we  are  all  so  proud ;  they  had  held  big  pow-wows  with  the  Great 
Father  ;  they  had  gained  a  somewhat  correct  idea  of  the  number  of 
whites,  and  of  the  power  and  majesty  of  the  nation  which  we,  with 
our  single  brass  gun  represented  ;  and  last  but  not  least,  those  old 
coveys  had  a  very  distant  recollection  of  that  exploit  of  Gen.  Harney 
at  Ash  Hollow,  and  they  begged  of  that  blood-thirsty,  belligerent 
young   devil    to   "abate  the   ardor   of  his    wrath,"   "for,"  said    these    old 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA.  153 

sages,  "  if  you  do  kill  oft"  this  pusillanimous  looking  crowd  of  pale- 
faces, you  have  not  gained  anything,  for  the  Great  Father  at  Wash- 
ington will  soon  hear  of  it  and  he  will  send  out  more  soldiers  than 
there  are  sands  on  the  Elkhorn,  and  we  will  be  wiped  from  the  face 
of  the  earth." 

It  was  finally  arranged,  after  several  hours  had  been  occupied  in 
the  discussion  of  the  matter,  that  the  terms  proposed  by  us  would  be 
acceded  to,  and  then  began  a  hunt  for  the  Indians  who  had  been 
making  trouble  back  in  the  settlements.  By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon 
we  had  seven  young  fellows  tied  behind  our  wagons,  and  we  were 
moving  oft"  toward  a  suitable  place  to  encamp  for  the  night.  Each 
of  the  head  chiefs  had  attached  his  "  sign  manual "  to  a  portentous 
looking  document  which  set  forth  in  the  most  grandiloquent  terms 
the  fact  that  the  indviduals  whose  crosses  were  thereunto  attached, 
regretted  exceedingly  the  depredations  which  had  been  committed  by 
ceitain  unruly  and  headstrong  young  men  of  the  Pawnee  tribe  of  In- 
dians, and  that  they,  the  undersigned,  authorized  the  keeping  back 
from  certain  moneys  due  the  tribe  from  the  government,  a  sufficient 
amount  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  expedition,  and  the  signers  fur- 
ther agreed  that  they  would  make  no  effort  to  release  the  seven 
young  men  who  had  been  turned  over  to  our  tender  mercies,  no 
matter   what  we   chose   to  do   with   them. 

When  the  young  Indians  were  given  up  to  us,  a  squaw  belonging 
to  one  of  them,  insisted  on  being  allowed  to  go  with  her  brave, 
and  when  this  request  was  denied,  she  screamed  and  cried,  tore  the 
hair  out  of  her  head  by  great  handfulls,  threw  her  arms  around  the 
young  fellow's  neck,  and  gave  way  to  the  most  violent  grief.  She 
was  dragged  away  from  him  with  greal  difficulty,  and  we  then  pro- 
ceeded on  our  way,  traveling  but  a  few  miles  before  going  into 
camp.  One  of  the  prisoners  Beemed  f<>  be  Buffering  a  great  deal 
from  some  cause,  and  upon  one  of  our  doctors  making  an  examina- 
10 


,54  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

tion,  it  was  found  he  had  been  shot  through  the  body,  and  that  the 
wound  was  mortifying.  He  was  one  of  the  party  of  eleven  who 
had  been  shut  up  in  the  room  at  West  Point,  and  as  he  ran  off, 
after  getting  away  from  the  house,  he  had  been  shot  by  one  of  the 
whites  but  was  not  so  seriously  injured  but  that  he  was  able  to 
reach  the  Pawnee  camp,  since  which  time  his  wound  had  been 
getting  more  and  more  painful  each  day.  The  doctor  said  he  would 
not  live  to  reach  the  settlements,  and  he  was  therefore  set  free  and 
told  to  go  back  to  his  tribe.  He  was  found  the  next  morning  a 
short  distance  from    camp,    dead. 

We  enjoyed  a  happy,  easy  time  the  afternoon  and  night  after  the 
conference  with  the  Indians,  naturally  supposing  that  all  danger  was 
now  past,  and  that  we  could  return  home  at  once.  It  was  arranged 
thai  we  should  proceed  up  the  Elkhorn  a  few  miles  farther,  then 
travel  in  a  southerly  direction  until  we  should  strike  the  head  of 
Beaver  Creek,  then  go  down  that  stream  to  its  intersection  with  the 
Loup  Fork,  following  the  Loup  until  we  should  come  to  the  Platte, 
and  then  keep  along  the  Platte  until  we  reached  the  settlements.  We 
had  a  beautiful  camp  that  night.  Huge  cottonwood,  walnut  and  elm 
trees  spread  their  branches  over  our  heads.  A  noisy  little  stream  rippled 
at  our  feet,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  a  rich  green  carpet  of 
Nature's  weaving.  Our  minds  were  free  from  care  or  the  apprehen- 
sion of  danger  for  the  first  time  in  many  days,  and  we  thoroughly 
enjoved  our  pleasant  surroundings.  In  due  time  a  supper  of  black 
coffee,  fat  bacon,  molasses,  and  a  certain  kind  of  hot  bread,  pecul- 
iar to  the  plains,  was  prepared  and  eaten  with  a  relish.  It  requires 
the  stomach  of  an  ostrich,  or  a  very  healthy  man,  to  digest  it,  and 
it  would  kill  the  oldest  man  in  America  in  three  weeks'  time  if  he 
should  eat  it  and  follow  sedentary  pursuits.  The  usual  way  of  pre- 
paring bread  on  the  plains  is  to  mix  up  batter  and  bake  "flap-jack." 
It    is   expected    that   after    a    man    has    been    on    the    plains   a   week,   he 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA.  155 

will  be  able  to  "flop"  a  slap-jack  over  in  a  frying  pan,  when  one 
side  is  done,  without  the  aid  of  a  knife,  and  when  he  lias  been  out 
a  month,  he  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  take  hold  of  the  frying  pan 
handle,  throw  the  half-done  slap-jack  over  a  covered  wagon,  run 
around  to  the  other  side  with  his  frying  pan,  and  catch  the  descend- 
ing mass,  dough  side  down.  The  old  hands  allow  a  beginner  just  a 
month  in  which  to  acquire  this  accomplishment,  and  if  he  is  unable 
to  go  through  with  it  without  doubling  the  slap-jack  up  in  the  pan 
when  he  catches  it,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he  is  considered  a  dis- 
couraging  failure. 

As  we  said  before,  we  were  happy.  As  the  sun  sank  to  rest, 
and  the  twinkling  stars  came  out  one  by  one,  and  the  moon  rose 
bright  and  clear,  our  camp  presented  a  beautiful  picture.  A  chain  of 
sentinels  surrounded  it,  but  they  were  not  so  anxious  or  watchful  as 
they  necessarily  were  when  upon  guard  previous  to  our  coming  up 
with  the  Indians.  The  song  and  jest  passed  around,  and  the  hours 
slipped  pleasantly  by  until  it  was  time  to  "turn  in."  Then  blankets 
were  spread  under  the  wagons,  and  as  the  moon  looked  down  upon 
us,  lighting  up  the  scene  with  a  mellow  haze,  we  dropped  off  to 
sleep  with  the  music  of  rippling  waters  and  the  chirp  of  thousands  of 
crickets,  hidden   in    the  grass,  sounding    in  our  ears. 

We  were  roused  up  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning,  and  in  a 
short  time  our  cavalcade  was  on  the  move.  After  marching  a  few 
miles  we  reached  a  high  point  of  ground,  .from  which  a  magnificent 
and  picturesque  scene  burst  upon  the  view.  Far  off  to  the  north* 
west  we  could  trace  the  windings  of  the  Elkhorn  bv  the  timber 
upon  its  banks,  while  here  and  there  could  lie  seen  small  streams 
which  found  their  way  from  the  highlands  across  the  broad  river 
bottoms.  At  our  feet  was  seen  the  Indian  camp,  now  a  scene  of 
active  commotion,  for  they  had  just  discovered  our  approach,  and 
were     rapidly     gathering     their    herds    of    ponies    from    the    neighboring 


,S6  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

hills.  It  was  a  mutual  surprise.  We  supposed  the  Indians  would 
remain  the  night  previous  at  the  place  where  the  pow-wow  was  held, 
and  they  probably  thought  we  had  turned  back  that  morning,  in- 
tending to   go   home   b)     the   route    we   had    come. 

We  were  in  for  it  now.  We  wanted  to  go  in  a  direction  which 
would  bring  us  very  near  the  Indian  camp,  and  if  they  were  dis- 
posed to  fight  us,  we  would  gain  nothing  by  turning  aside  now.  It 
was  decided  that  we  should  get  everything  ready  to  repel  an  attack, 
move  along  as  though  the  Indians  were  not  there,  and  trust  to  fate 
for  the  rest.  Our  six  prisoners  were  tied  together  and  then  fastened 
bv  a  rope  to  one  of  the  wagons,  behind  which  they  walked  quietly 
along,  surrounded  by  a  mounted  guard.  We  did  not  go  through  the 
camp,  but  passed  along  one  side  of  it.  A  few  squaws  and  papooses 
came  out  to  see  us  as  we  moved  along,  but  the  Indians  generally 
remained  about  their  tents.  Among  the  squaws  who  had  come  out 
from  the  camp,  was  the  one  previously  mentioned  as  having  torn 
her  hair  and  exhibited  such  great  grief  at  being  separated  from 
her  brave  the  day  before,  and  when  the  wagon,  behind  which  the 
prisoners  were  tied,  came  up,  this  squaw  rushed  among  them  and 
gave  her  Indian  a  knife,  with  which  he  stabbed  himself  in  the 
breast,  and  fell  heavily  to  the  ground.  Of  course  the  wagon  stopped 
at  once,  and  the  attention  of  the  guards  was  taken  up  with  the 
wounded  Indian,  whom  they  supposed  to  be  bleeding  internally,  as 
but  little  blood  was  to  be  seen  about  the  wounds,  although  a  red- 
dish looking  substance,  similar  to  blood  in  appearance,  oozed  from  each 
corner  ot  his  mouth.  As  the  guards  were  doing  what  they  could 
to  assist  the  Indian  who  had  stabbed  himself,  his  treacherous  squaw 
secured  the  knife  and  cut  the  ropes  which  bound  the  prisoners  to- 
gether, and  away  they  sprang  like  a  flash,  all  the  guards  but 
one  running  after  them,  firing  upon  them  as  they  ran.  Meanwhile, 
the   wounded    Indian   had    stretched   out,    his  eyes    sunk   into     his  head, 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  157 


and  he  gave  every  indication  of  being  dead,  while  that  squaw  of  his 
hung  over  him,  indulging  in  wild  expressions  of  grief.  When  she 
saw  that  the  guards  were  some  distance  from  the  wagon,  she  gave 
her  buck  the  signal,  and  he  jumped  to  his  feet  as  agile  as  a  cat, 
and  started  to  run.  But  he  did  not  get  far.  One  guard  had  remained 
to  keep  an  eve  on  the  corpse,  and  when  that  corpse  attempted  to 
run  away,  contrary  to  the  customs  and  habits  of  corpses  generally, 
the  guard  drew  up  his  rifle  and  called,  "halt !"  The  Indian  halted, 
and  it  was  then  found  that  the  wound  which  he  had  inflicted  upon 
himself  was  only  skin-deep,  and  that  he  had  red  ochre  in  his  mouth, 
by  means  of  which  he  had  created  the  impression  that  blood  was 
oozing  from  between  his  lips.  He  was  immediately  recaptured,  tied 
behind    the   wagon,   and    the  procession  moved    on. 

We  proceeded  about  a  mile,  took  up  position  on  a  high  hill,  and 
then  stopped  for  a  consultation.  The  guards  who  pursued  the  escaped 
prisoners  had  returned  to  the  command,  and  reported  that  they  had 
either  killed  or  wounded  all  the  prisoners  except  the  one  which  had 
been  recaptured.  This  was  well  enough,  but  in  the  excitement  of  the 
chase  they  had  popped  over  one  of  the  Omahas  (down  among  whose 
tents  the  prisoners  ran),  and  had  also  killed  an  Omaha  pony.  The 
indications  just  at  that  time  were  that  we  had  cut  out  more  work 
for  ourselves  than  we  could  get  through  with  conveniently.  It  was 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  Pawnees  had  been  thoroughly  roused 
by  the  occurrences  of  the  last  half  hour,  and  if  the  Poncas  and  the 
Omahas  would  join  them,  it  was  quite  probable  that  they  would  "  ^o 
back"  on  the  agreement  of  the  previous  day.  The  Omahas  had  acted 
very  fairly  thus  far,  utterly  refusing  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
the  trouble  into  which  the  Pawnees  had  brought  themselves,  as  they 
considered  it  "none  of  their  funeral,"  but  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to 
decide  what  they  would  do  now,  since  one  of  their  braves  had  been 
wounded    and  a  pony  killed.       We   were   on    a    high   hill,    about   a    mile 


1/ISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


from  the  Indian  camp,  with  no  chance  to  get  wood  or  water,  and  it 
would  be  a  very  easy  matter  for  us  to  be  surrounded  and  starved 
to    death.     The    prospect    was  somewhat   gloomy    and    discouraging. 

While  we  were  deliberating  over  the  matter,  we  saw  a  procession 
of  Indians  leave  the  Omaha  camp  and  approach  us,  "with  stately 
step  and  slow,''  which  procession  proved  to  be  composed  of  fifty  of 
the  wise  heads  among  the  Omahas.  They  marched  in  single  file 
without  a  sound  being  heard,  and  as  they  slowly  approached  us 
Ave  could  see  that  their  minds  were  filled  with  serious  thoughts. 
They  were  decorated  in  a  peculiar  manner,  their  costumes  indicating 
that  they  were  prepared  either  for  war  or  peace,  as  circumstances 
might    seem   to    dictate. 

But  they  didn't  fight  us.  Our  cheek  and  our  extraordinary  con- 
versational powers  saved  us  for  a  second  time.  We  reasoned  with 
those  chiefs  ;  we  talked  as  we  had  never  talked  before.  We  portrayed 
in  brilliant  and  glowing  colors  the  evils  which  would  result  to  the 
red-skins  generally  in  case  the  Omahas  and  the  Poncas  joined  with 
the  Pawnees  in  declaring  war  against  us.  We  dwelt  especially  upon 
the  immense  resources  possessed  by  the  whites  ;  of  their  great 
facilities  for  carrying  on  a  prolonged  and  bloody  warfare.  We  de- 
precated the  accidental  shooting  of  the  Omaha,  promising  to  hang 
the  man  who  had  fired  the  unfortunate  shot.  We  made  mention  of 
the  fact  that  the  Omahas  had  been  at  peace  with  us  ever  since  the 
first  settlement  of  the  Territory.  We  had  regular  details  made  to 
talk  to  those  old  chaps  who  had  one  side  of  their  villainous  looking 
countenances  painted  red  and  the  other  black,  and  as  soon  as  one 
detail  of  men  could  be  exhausted,  another  took  their  place,  and  we 
outwinded  them.  Their  desire  for  war  gradually  cooled,  (nothing 
could  withstand  the  avalanche  of  talk  that  we  hurled  at  their  de- 
voted heads,)  and  they  finally  agreed  that  if  we  would  leave  med- 
icines   for     the     wounded     Indians,    and     pay     for   the     pony     we    had 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  i59 


killed,  they  would  let  us  alone.  To  this  condition  we  assented 
cheerfully,  and  as  the  Poncas  had  signified  their  intention  to  do 
as  the  Omahas  decided  to  do  in  the  matter,  the  Pawnees  concluded 
that  they  would  not  fight  us  alone.  We  left  a  horse  for  the  Indian 
whose  pony  had  been  killed,  and  we  were  allowed  to  move  on.  We 
did  not  camp  very  early  that  night.  Every  mile  that  we  traveled, 
put  that  much  distance  between  us  and  the  Indians,  and  we  were 
seized  with  a  desire  to  make  that  as  great  as  possible  before  stopping 
for  the  night.  We  were  not  at  all  afraid  to  encamp  in  their  immediate 
vicinity,  but  it  occurred  to  us  that  perhaps  in  view  of  all  the  facts 
it  would  be  better  if  we  were  some  distance  from  the  Indian  camp 
that    night.       We  thought    they  would   like  it   better. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  scene  of  our  conference,  we  struck  Beaver 
Creek,  and  followed  along  its  course.  We  traveled  late  that  night 
and  did  not  go  into  camp  until  near  midnight.  Keeping  along 
Beaver  Creek,  we  came  in  due  time  to  its  intersection  with  the 
Loup  Fork,  at  the  then  Mormon  settlement  of  Genoa.  Here 
we  were  cordially  received  by  the  Mormons,  who  looked  upon 
us  as  a  band  of  brave  and  noble  men  who  had  sacrificed  home 
and  home  comforts  for  the  nonce,  going  forth  with  our  lives  in  our 
hands  to  do  battle  in  defence  of  the  unprotected  settlements,  and 
shield    them  from    the    devastating    torch    of    the    savage. 

Leaving  the  Mormon  camp — in  a  manner  becoming  a  band  of 
heroes — we  journeyed  down  the  Loup  Fork,  and  reached  the  German 
town  of  Columbus  that  night,  at  which  place  wc  went  into  camp. 
We  also  indulged  in  a  high  old  time — wc  felt  that  the  Indians  were 
now  safe  from  any  murderous  designs  which  we  may  have  harbored 
against  them,  and  we  rejoiced  to  know  it.  We  left  one  company  of 
our  command  at  Columbus,  it  having  been  organized  there,  and  after 
leaving  that  village,  our  force  decreased  very  rapidly.  We  were  for- 
mally   disbanded    at    Columbus,    the    different    companies    being    allowed 


!6o  HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 

to  return  to  the  various  settlements  from  whence  they  came  by  the 
nearest  and  most  practicable  routes.  We  were  told  that  each  com- 
pany commander  would  receive  the  pay  due  his  company,  and  that 
the  members  of  the  company  would  be  paid  by  him.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  the  government  would  enforce  the  contract  we  had  made 
with  the  Indians,  keep  back  enough  funds  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
the  expedition,  and  that  we  would  receive  the  money  which  was  due 
us.  But  the  government  recoiled  on  us,  paid  the  Indians  all  that 
was  coming  to  them,  and  we  were  left  to  whistle  for  our  pay. 
We   are   whistling  yet. 

Thus   ended    the    Pawnee    war. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  161 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


THE    BIG     INDIAN     SCARE    OF    1864. 


SERIOIS      DISASTER     THAT     MIGHT     HAVE     HAPPENED      TO      OMAHA 

THE     SETTLERS    ON     THE     ELKHORN     BECOMING     FRIGHTENED     FLOCK 

INTO    OMAHA BUSINESS    ENTIRELY     SUSPENDED THE      CITY      UNDER 

GUARD ORGANIZATION      OF      THE      MILITIA THE      SCOUT      OF       CAPT. 

TAFFE'S      COMPANY THE     CAMPAIGN     OF      CAPT.     JOHN      R.     PORTER'S 

COMPANY THEY     HAVE     A    FIGHT     OR    TWO    ON    THE    FRONTIER     AND 

DO     GOOD     SERVICE CAPT.     CHILD'S     ARTILLERY     COMPANY. 

'N  1864  a  very  widespread  and  serious  Indian  scare  oc- 
curred in  the  Territory,  and  it  was  not  entirely  without 
foundation.  It  was  shortly  after  the  destruction  of  Law- 
rence, Kansas,  by  Quantrell's  band,  that  several  persons 
in  Omaha  received  anonymous  letters  warning  them  of 
a  similar  attack,  and  some  little  uneasiness  was  thus 
caused  in  the  city.  It  appears  that  a  considerable  amount 
of  monev  and  valuables  had  been  sent  to  Omaha  from  the  southern 
part  of  the  Territory  for  safe-keeping,  and  the  banks  at  that  time 
held  more  than  the  usual  amount  of  monev.  There  was  a  well- 
grounded  fear  that  the  city  would  be  attacked  by  robbers  or  guerrillas 
disguised  as  Indians.  When  the  attention  of  the  citizens  was  called 
to  this  fact,  it  became  evident  to  them  that  it  would  indeed  be  an 
easy  exploit,  even  in  1864,  for  an  armed  body  of  100  or  [50  men 
to  approach  within  twenty  miles  of  the  city  without  the  least  resis- 
tance    and     without     anyone     being     aware     of     their     coming.        They 


162  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

could  march  up  from  the  southwest  through  a  country  where  there 
was    not    a   single    settler    for    hundreds  of  miles. 

Several  bands  of  Sioux  and  other  northern  Indians  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  roaming  at  will  through  sections  of  the  Territory,  and 
particularly    through    that  portion  now  known    as    Saunders  county. 

About  that  time  a  large  band  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Elkhorn  river  in  the  vicinity  of  where  Waterloo  and 
Yallev  Stations  are  now  located  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and 
although  they  did  not  at  first  commit  any  outrage,  or  do  any  damage 
or  violence  to  the  white  people,  still  the  settlers  in  that  neighbor- 
hood felt  so  uneasy  and  afraid  of  them,  that  they  fled  to  Omaha  as 
fast  as    their  own   limbs  or   the  legs  of  their  horses   could    carry   them. 

As  soon  as  they  had  gone,  the  Indians  appropriated  their  cattle 
and  horses,  and  everything  else  of  any  value,  but  did  no  violence  or 
murder. 

When  the  settlers  came  flocking  into  Omaha  one  morning,  between 
two  and  three  o'clock,  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1864,  it  caused 
the  most  intense  excitement.  Business  was  entirely  suspended  that 
day.  A  meeting  was  called  at  the  Court  House  at  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  before  sunset,  it  was  safe  to  say,  every  able 
bodied  man  in  the  city  was  fully  armed,  equipped  and  prepared  for 
anything   that    might    occur. 

A  strong  guard  was  organized  and  stationed  that  night  at  all  the 
approaches  to  the  city,  and  this  vigilance  was  continued  for  about 
two    weeks. 

It  is  a  fact  that  quite  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  Omaha  became 
so  frightened  that  they  went  over  to  Council  Bluffs  where  they  re- 
mained  till    the    scare    had    subsided. 

The  precautions  that  were  taken,  no  doubt,  prevented  an  attack 
on  the  city  either  from  bushwhackers  or  from  Indians.  Our  author- 
ity    for    this    statement    is     a    gentleman    who     is     one    of    the     oldest 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA.  163 


settlers,  as  well  as  one  of  the  leading  and  most  respected  citizens  ot 
Omaha.  He  has  always  been  of  that  opinion,  for  soon  after  Quan- 
trell's  raid  in  Kansas,  he  accidentally  met  in  Omaha  a  man  who 
was  a  member  of  Quantrell's  band.  He  had  known  this  man  for  a 
long  time,  and  during  the  civil  war  he  was  little  better  than  a 
highwayman.  There  were  two  others  of  Quantrell's  men  in  Omaha 
at  the  same  time.  The  trio  were  evidently  looking  over  the  ground 
preparatory    to    raiding   the    city. 

Roving  bands  of  Indians  were  committing  depredations  and  murders 
in  the  Platte  Valley.  Men  were  found  killed  at  Thirty-two-mile 
Creek,  Lone  Tree,  and  Plum  Creek,  and  other  places  in  Nebraska, 
especially  along  the  overland  mail  and  stage  route.  Stock  was  driven 
off  along  the  Ft.  Kearney  and  Atchison  mail  route,  and  the  pickets 
were  fired  upon  at  Ft.  Kearney.  A  wagon  train  had  been  destroyed 
at  Plum  Creek,  and  thirteen  men  killed.  It  was  a  fact  that  in 
many  instances  the  Indians  were  commanded  by  white  men,  disguised 
as  savages.  This  is  easily  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  civil  war 
was  then  in  progress,  and  these  white  savages  were  undoubtedly 
rebel  emissaries.  It  was  not  strange,  then,  that  in  the  face  of  all 
these  circumstance,  a  general  uprising  of  the  Indians  who  infested 
Western  Nebraska,  Wyoming,  Colorado  and  Utah,  should  have  been 
feared  at  that  time.  It  was  thus  that  the  Indian  and  guerrilla  scare 
of  1864    originated. 

Gov.  Alvin  Saunders  made  a  call  for  the  militia  lor  self  pro- 
tection and  to  put  a  stop  to  the  Indian  outrages,  and  in  accordance 
with  that  call  his  adjutant-general,  W.  II.  S.  Hughes,  issued  a 
special  order  for  two  regiments  of  mounted  infantry,  each  regiment 
to  be  composed  of  six  companies  of  sixty-four  men  each — one  of  tin- 
regiments  to  be  raised  south  of  the  Platte  and  the  other  north  of 
the  Platte.  The  commanding  officers  of  all  North  Platte  companies 
were    to   report   to   Brig.-Gcn.    O.     V.     llurford,   of    Omaha,    and    those 


164  HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 

of    the    South    Platte     companies    to    Col.    O.    P.    Mason,    of    Nebraska 
City.      The    term    of  service    was    four    months. 

Adjutant-General  Hughes,  next  order,  No.  4,  dated  August  22, 
1S64,  by  order  of  the  commander-in-chief,  Gov.  Saunders,  commanded 
that  all  able  bodied  men  in  the  Territory  between  the  ages  of  eight- 
een and  forty-five,  who  did  not  belong  to  some  militia  company, 
meeting  regularly  for  drill,  should  enroll  themselves  and  form  com- 
panies   in    accordance   with    the    laws    of  the   Territory. 

Under  the  four  months'  call  of  Gov.  Saunders,  seven  companies 
were  organized,  among   them    being  the    following   at   Omaha  : 

Company  A. — R.  T.  Beall,  captain  ;  George  C.  Yates,  1st  lieu- 
tenant ;  J.    H.    Barlow,   2d    lieutenant. 

Company  B. — John  Taffe,  captain  ;  Edwin  Patrick,  1st  lieutenant ; 
Abraham  Deyo,   2d  lieutenant. 

Company  C. — Charles  S.  Goodrich,  captain  ;  Martin  Dunham,  1st 
lieutenant ;  David    T.    Mount,    2d  lieutenant. 

Company  D. — Jesse     Lowe,     captain;     E.    Estabrook,    1st    lieutenant; 
O.  B.    Selden,    2d    lieutenant. 

A  gun  squad  was  also  organized  and  officered  by  E.  P.  Child, 
captain,    and   A.  J.   Simpson,    1st    lieutenant. 

These  companies  were  more  of  a  home  guard  than  anything  else. 
Company  D.  was  called  the  "gray-beard  company,"  on  account  of  its 
being  almost  entirely  composed  of  old  men.  These  companies  were 
organized  during  the  latter  part  of  August.  The  Republican  of  August 
26,  1864,  says:  "Organization  is  progressing  satisfactorily,  and  we 
shall  soon  be  in  fighting  trim.  The  city  is  now  safe,  and  we  can 
resist  any  attack  which  can  be  made  upon  it  by  the  Indians  or 
guerrillas." 

The  Republican  of  the  same  date  notices  the  departure  of  Capt. 
Taffe's  company  as  follows  :  "  Captain  Taflfe's  company  of  cavalry 
started    west     Wednesday     afternoon,  provided  with    five    days'    rations. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  165 

They  go  direct  to  Junction  Island,  near  Forest  City,  and  after  re- 
connoitering  in  that  vicinity  will  pass  up  the  Elkhorn  and  return 
home." 

On  Monday  night,  August  23,  it  had  been  reported  in  Omaha  that 
two  hundred  head  of  cattle  belonging  to  Mr.  E.  Creighton  and  Mr.  E. 
Loveland,  were  driven  off  by  the  Indians  from  an  island  where 
they  were  being  herded,  only  twenty  miles  from  Omaha,  and  that  a 
large  number  of  hostiles  were  on  the  south  side  of  the  Platte  river 
in    the   vicinity  of  Forest    City. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  this  day  that  the  frightened  settlers — 
about  twenty    families — came   into    Omaha. 

Capt.  Taffe's  company  of  fifty  mounted  men  left  Omaha  on 
Wednesday  evening,  August  23d,  reaching  Forest  City  on  Thursday. 
It  was  there  learned  that  the  cattle  reported  to  have  been  driven  off 
by  the  Sioux,  had  been  stampeded  by  the  Omahas,  on  the  return 
from  their  annual  hunt,  and  that  most  01  the  cattle  had  been  re- 
covered,   no   hostile    Indians    having   been    engaged    in    the    affair. 

Capt.  Taffe  then  proceeded  with  his  command  up  the  Elkhorn, 
and  made  a  through  reconnaisance  for  several  miles  in  the  direction 
of  Elkhorn  City.  Nothing  was  learned  of  any  hostile  Indians,  and 
becoming  satisfied  that  the  alarm  was  the  result  of  a  mistake,  for 
which  nobody  was  really  to  blame,  Capt.  Taffe  returned  to  the  city, 
arriving  on  September  1st.  This  expedition  demonstrated  the  fact 
that  no  hostile  Indians  had  made  their  appearance  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Platte.  This  quieted  all  apprehension  of  an  attack  of  Indians 
on  Omaha,  and  most  of  the  settlers  returned  home.  The  fear  of  a 
raid  on  Omaha  by  guerrillas  was  still  entertained,  however,  and 
strict  vigilance  was  maintained  for  some  little  time.  The  home  guards 
were  drilled  every  day  from  four  to  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  all  stores,  shops,  workshops  and  places  of  business  generally 
were  closed   during  those   hour-.     Captain-   Taffe,   Goodrich    and    Beall 


,66  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


were  ordered  to  attend  to  the  enrollment  of  all  persons  subject  to 
military  duty. 

Capt.  Beall  was  ordered  to  take  command  of  all  the  militia  forces 
within  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  to  keep  the  city  under  guard  at 
night!  All  this  was  done  by  command  of  Brigadier-General  O.  P. 
Hurford,  commanding    ist  Nebraska  Militia. 

About  this  time  Gen.  Curtis,  who  was  conducting  the  Indian 
campaign,  made  a  call  on  Governor  Saunders  for  mounted  men, 
and  in  accordance  with  this  request  a  company  of  volunteer  cav- 
alrv  was  raised  in  Omaha,  principally  through  the  efforts  of  John  R. 
Porter,  now  police  judge.  He  had  been  drilling  his  company  of 
"  home  o-uards "  every  Saturday,  and  being  considered  a  thorough 
military  tactician,  he  was  elected  captain  of  the  cavalry  company. 
One  A.  T.  Riley  was  elected  first  lieutenant,  and  Martin  Dunham, 
second  lieutenant,  the  latter  of  whom,  it  is  said,  did  some  good 
shooting    and  splendid  fighting  during  that  brief  campaign. 

The  cavalry  men  were  without  horses,  but  this  important  necessity 
was  supplied  by  the  late  Col.  Hayes,  father-in-law  of  Judge  Lake, 
who  organized  a  press-gang  for  the  purpose  of  pressing  into  the 
service  the  requisite  number  of  steeds.  They  made  a  pretty  clean 
sweep  of  the  city  stables,  taking  every  horse  that  they  found,  as  well 
as  saddles  and  bridles,  wherever  there  was  any  to  be  had.  An  order 
was  also  issued  by  command  of  Brig. -Gen.  Mitchell  that  no  horses 
should  be  crossed  to  the  Iowa  side  of  the  river  by  the  Ferry  Company 
as  it  was  feared  that  some  persons  might  transport  their  'animals  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  press-gang,  whose  operations  entailed  consider- 
able hardship  upon  some  persons.  People  living  out  of  the  city, 
farmers  and  others,  would  not  come  into  town  for  some  time  after- 
wards except  with  bull  teams,  leaving  their  horses  at  home  for  fear 
of  seizure. 

Elder   Shinn    had    a    very    fine    horse,    and    when     Col.     Hayes    said 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  167 

to  his  men,  "  Take  him,  boys,"  the  Elder  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket 
and  remarked,  "  Colonel,  you  had  better  come  and  take  him."  Col. 
Hayes  did'nt  take  that  horse.  "Come  on  boys,"  said  he,  and  they 
rode  off  to   the  stable    of  some  other  man. 

The  deficiency  in  bridles  and  saddles  was  supplied  bv  the  gov- 
ernment quartermaster  stationed  at  Omaha,  who  also  furnished 
blankets.  The  horses  and  accoutrements  were  turned  over  to  the  cav- 
alrymen, who  were  thus  pretty  well  equipped.  After  being  sworn 
into  the  United  States  Service,  and  inspected  by  Major  Armstrong, 
they  left  Omaha  fifty-two  strong  sometime  in  September,  and  scoured 
the  country  north  and  south  as  far  west  as  Kearney  and  Julesburg, 
and  other  points  along  the  stage  line,  over  which  travel  had  been 
temporarily    suspended. 

The  Omaha  cavalrymen  had  several  little  skirmishes  and  one  real 
good  fight,  which  took  place  at  Plum  Creek,  where  the  Indians  had 
burned  a  train  of  fourteen  wagons  a  short  time  previously,  and  killed 
the  emigrants,  who  had  afterwards  been  buried  bv  some  of  the 
whites.  Captain  Porter's  company  had  run  a  party  of  Pawnees  to 
this  point,  occasionally  picking  them  off  one  at  a  time.  They  tin. ill y 
cornered  them  and  killed  fourteen  of  them.  They  also  took  three 
captives,  who  were  brought  to  Omaha  and  delivered  to  Gen. 
Mitchell.  No  one  recollects  what  became  of  them,  but  it  is  very 
likely    that    they   were   soon    released. 

At  another  time  they  corraled  old  Two-Face  and  his  band  near 
Alkali,  and  in  crossing  the  Platte  river  to  reach  them  the  Omaha 
men  came  very  nearly  losing  several  of  their  horses,  Just  as  they 
were   about    to    charge    them,   a   white    man    Btepped  out    from  among 

tin-  Indians  and  raised  a  flag  of  truce,  lie  presented  a  passporl  of 
protection  and  freedom,  a  sort  of  letter  of  credit,  from  Gen.  Mitchell, 
Baying  thai  they  should  he  allowed  to  proceed  unmolested  by  any- 
one  to  Cottonwood,  down    the    river.      Captain    Porter    respected    the 


1 68  HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 

letter,  and  allowed  them  to  depart,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of 
his  troopers,  who  wanted  to  clean  them  out.  The  Indians  did  not 
go  to  Cottonwood,  but  switched  off  by  Ash  Hollow  and  went  up 
near  Ft.  Laramie,  where  the  late  Col.  William  Baumer  was  commanding. 
Col.  Baumer  took  Two-Face  prisoner,  and  being  a  hostile  as  well 
as  a  renegade  and  a  thief,  hung  him  in  chains.  Two-Face  was  a 
hard  character  and  his  fate  was  no  doubt  deserved.  He  had  several 
white    children    whom   he   had    captured. 

This  company  also  did  valuable  service  in  escorting  supply  trains 
and   stage-coaches    from  Julesburg   east    to    Ft.    Kearney. 

The  cavalrymen  arrived  at  Ft.  Kearney  the  ist  of  November,  and 
from   there   they    came   home. 

The  Nebraska  First  was  then  coming  up  from  the  South  and 
also  the  Iowa  Seventh,  and  these  two  regiments  relieved  all  the 
volunteers    along   the   stage   road   and  on   the   frontier. 

Capt.  E.  P.  Childs  also  raised  an  artillery  company  of  volunteers 
and  went  to  Ft.  Kearney,  where  he  did  some  military  duty  with 
his  command.  We  believe  that  Judge  Mason  also  raised  a  volunteer 
company   at    Nebraska    City. 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA. 


169 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


OMAHA   AND  NEBRASKA   IN  THE   WAR. 


THE      FIRST      NEBRASKA       VOLUNTEERS — THE       FIRST       NEBRASKA    VETE- 
RAN    CAVALRY — THE       CURTIS     HORSE      CONSOLIDATED       WITH        THE 

FIFTH      IOWA      CALVARY THE      .MILITIA THE       OMAHA       BARRACKS 

MILITARY    HEADQUARTERS. 

^^jy^pHEX  the  civil  war  broke  out  and  the  call  for  vol- 
jjy  'i\»  JT$  unteers  was  made,  Omaha  was  not  behind  her  sister 
cities  in  offering  her  best  men  to  fight  for  the  Union, 
beneath  the  -Stars  and  Stripes — the  flag  that  had 
waved  for  nearly  an  hundred  years.  Those  were 
exciting  days  all  over  the  land,  and  Omaha  and  Ne- 
braska shared  the  enthusiasm  that  prevailed  everywhere. 
Hon.  John  M.  Thayer,  who  became  a  Major-General  and  after- 
wards United  States  Senator,  and  now  Governor  of  Wyoming,  applied 
to  Governor  Saunders  and  received  his  commission  as  Colonel  of  the 
First  Regiment  of  Nebraska  Volunteers,  which  regiment  was  mainly 
organized  in  this  city  and  left  for  the  field  of  action  in  July,  [861, 
with   the    following    officers  : 

John  M.  Thayer,  of  Omaha,  colonel  ;  11.  P,  Downs.  ,,1  Nebraska 
Citv,  lieutenant-colonel  ;  Win.  McCord,  of  Plattsmouth,  major  .  S. 
A.  Strickland,  of  Bellevue,  adjutant;  Enos  Lowe,  ol  Omaha,  surgeon; 
William  McClelland,  ol  Omaha,  assistant  surgeon;  T.  W.  Tipton, 
oi   Brownville,   chaplain;  George    Spencer,   sutlei 

Captains — Company    A  .    R.    R.    Livingstone,  of  Plattsmouth  .  Com- 
1 1 


i7o  f/fS TORY    OF    OMAHA. 


pany  B.,  Wm.  Baumer,  of  Omaha  ;  Company  C,  J.  D.  N.  Thomp- 
son ;  Company  I).,  Allen  Blacker  ;  Company  E.,  Wm.  G.  Hollins, 
of  Omaha ;  Company  F.,  Thomas  M.  Bovven  ;  Company  G.,  John 
McConihe  ;  Company  H.,  George  T.  Kennedy  ;  Company  I.,  Jacob 
Butler  ;    Company    K.,  Joseph    W.   Paddock. 

The  first  battalion  of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Nebraka  Volun- 
teers (cavalry)  was  mustered  at  Omaha,  about  the  ist  of  November, 
1S62,  for  nine  months'  service,  and  George  Armstrong,  of  this  city, 
was  commissioned  as  major  and  commanded  and  superintended  the 
organization  of  the  regiment  until  ten  companies  were  mustered  in, 
when  Wm.  F.  Sapp  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  About  the 
first  of  February,  1863,  the  twelfth  company  completed  the  regiment 
and  it  was  mnstered  iuto  the  service  of  the  United  States  and 
officered    as    follows  : 

R.  W.  Furnas,  of  Brownville,  colonel  ;  W.  F.  Sapp,  of  Omaha, 
lieutenant-colonel  ;  John  Taffe,  of  Dakota  City,  and  John  W.  Pear- 
man,  of  Nebraska  City,  majors  ;  Dr.  Aurelius  Bowen,  of  Nebraska 
City,  and  Dr.  W.  S.  Latta,  of  Plattsmouth,  surgeons  ;  H.  M.  Atkinson, 
of  Brownville,   adjutant, 

This  regiment,  enlisted  for  nine  months  and  designed  for  home 
service,  was  mustered  out  in  September,  1863,  and  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  several  of  its  officers  and  by  leave  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  George  Armstrong  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Saunders  to  raise 
an  independent  battalion  of  cavalry  to  serve  during  the  war,  and  the 
following  year  the  "First  Battalion  of  Nebraska  Veteran  Cavalry" 
was  mustered  in  and  George  Armstrong,  Captain  of  Company  A, 
was   commissioned    as  major    commanding. 

This  battalion  was  afterwards  consolidated  with  the  "  Old  Ne- 
braska First,"  which  had  returned  from  the  South  and  been  trans- 
formed into  a  cavalry  regiment,  and  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  1S65, 
the   new   organization,     thus    consolidated,    was    known    as     the    "First 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


Regiment  of  Nebraska  Veteran  Cavalry."  One  year  afterwards  thi- 
regiment  was  finally  mustered  out,  at  which  time  the  officers  were  : 
R.  R,  Livingston,  Colonel  ;  William  Baumer,  lieutenant-colonel  ; 
George  Armstrong  and  Thomas  J.  Majors,  majors  ;  William  McClel- 
land, surgeon. 

Curtis'  Horse  was  the  name  of  a  battalion  of  cavalry,  consisting 
of  four  companies,  principally  recruited  in  Omaha,  and  afterwards 
consolidated  with  the  Fifth  Iowa  Cavalry.  These  four  companies,  A. 
B,  C  and  D,  composed  the  first  battalion.  The  final  appointment 
of  officers  was  made  February  ist.  1862,  as  follows  :  W.  W.  Lowe, 
colonel  ;  M.  T.  Patrick,  lieutenant-colonel  ;  W.  B.  McGeorge, 
adjutant  ;  Enos  Lowe,  Surgeon  ;  B.  T.  Wise,  assistant  surgeon  ; 
Jerome    Spillman,    chaplain. 

Company  A.  was  commanded  by  Capt.  J.  J.  Lowe  ;  Company  B. 
by  Capt.  John  T.  Croft;  Company  C.  by  Capt.  Morris  Young;  Com- 
pany D.  by  Capt.  Harlan  Beard.  All  these  companies  were  mustered 
into   the   United    States   service  at  Omaha  by    Lieut.  J.    N.    H.   Patrick. 

Besides  the  above  mentioned  troops,  Capt.  John  R.  Porter  organ- 
ized at  Omaha  Company  A.,  ist  Nebraska  militia  cavalry  regiment, 
for  home  service  against  "confederate  tribes  of  Indians,"  and  Capt.  E. 
P.  Childs,  of  Omaha,  raised  an  artillery  detachment  of  Nebraska 
militia.  In  addition  to  this,  the  militia  was  organized  throughout  the 
State. 

Omaha  has  become  quite  an  important  military  point.  She  is  the 
official  headquarters  and  supply  depot  of  'lie  Department  of  the 
Platte,  now  under  command  of  Gen.  Crook.  The  Omaha  barracks 
formerly    called      Sherman     barrack-,    were    built      about     Hie     w.n     [868. 

More  or  less  troop-  are  stationed  here  all  the  time,  and  bene.'  ihe 
military  form  quite  an  element  in  Omaha  society  as  well  as  in  her 
business  affairs, 


i72  HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


FIRST   CHURCHES    AND   SOCIETIES. 


THE     FIRST     MINISTERS SOME    INTERESTING     REMINISCENCES    BY     REV. 

REUBEN       GAYLURD,      THE       FIRST      CONGREGATIONAL       PASTOR THE 

FIRST    CHURCH      EDIFICES OTHER    CHURCHES THE     OLDEST     OF    THE 

SECRET    SOCIETIES ILLUSTRATIONS. 

EV.  PETER  COOPER,  a  Methodist  clergyman,  then 
a  resident  of  Council  Bluffs,  preached  the  first  ser- 
mon in  Omaha — as  has  been  previously  stated  in 
this  history — in  the  summer  of  1S54,*  at  Mr.  W.  P. 
Snowden's  residence,  which  was  the  "  St.  Nicholas," 
or  rather  the  Ferry  Company's  "  claim  house."  The 
next  preachers  who  labored  in  Omaha,  of  whom  we 
can  find  "any  record,  were  Rev.  Isaac  F.  Collins,  a  Methodist,  who 
had  organized  a  class,  and  Rev.  William  Leach,  a  Baptist,  who 
soon  left  without  forming  a  church.  This  was  during  the  summer 
and   fall  of   1855. 

In  September,  1855,  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord  visited  Omaha,  and  in 
December  following  he  moved  here  with  his  family,  arriving  on 
Christmas  day.  He  has  made  Omaha  his  home  ever  since,  and  has 
watched  Omaha's  religious,  social  and  commercial  growth  with  a 
deep   interest. 

The  first  Congregational  church  building  erected  in  Omaha  and 
and    Nebraska    was    a   brick  structure  located    on   the  west   side  of  Six- 

<See  pages  36  and  50. 


II IS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA.  173 

teenth  street,  between  Farnham  and  Douglas  streets.  When  Redick's 
Opera  House  was  built,  some  years  ago,  this  church  building  was 
absorbed  in  this  larger  structure,  and  it  now  projects  as  a  sort  of 
wing  on  the  west  side.  This  wing  was  used  for  several  years  as  a 
Citv  Council  chamber  and   United   States  court   room. 

At  the  farewell  services  held  in  it  in  1S67  by  the  Congregational- 
ism, previous  to  going  to  the  new  church  at  the  corner  of  Nineteenth 
and  Chicago  streets,  Rev.  Mr.  Gaylord  delivered  a  very  interesting 
sermon  in  which  he  gave  his  religious  reminiscences  in  Omaha,  ex- 
tending over  a  period  of  fourteen  years.  From  a  published  extract  of 
his  sermon,  we  have  obtained  some  interesting  facts  as  follows  : 
"The  winter  of  18^5-6  was  of  terrible  severity.  The  Territorial  legis- 
lature was  then  in  session,  Omaha  having  been  made  the  capital  by 
Acting-Governor  Cuming.  But  few  of  the  then  residents  now  re- 
main. Among  the  early  settlers  were  O.  D.  Richardson,  Mr.  Good- 
will, Dr.  Miller,  A.  D.  Jones,  A.  J.  Poppleton,  Major  Armstrong, 
General  Estabrook,  General  Thayer,  T.  B.  Cuming,  G.  M.  Mills,  A. 
J.  Hanscom,  and  their  families.  He  [Mr.  Gaylord]  commenced  preach- 
ing in  the  Council  Chamber,  in  the  old  State  House,  on  the  last  of 
December,  at  a  salary  of  $600  per  annum,  not  more  than  half 
enough  to  support  his  family.  There  were  here  then  Rev.  Mr.  Collins, 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Leach,  a  Baptist  clergyman. 
Thev  were  occupying  the  Council  Chamber  morning  and  evening, 
and  he  took  what  was  left — the  afternoon.  There  was  no  church 
organization  here  then,  except  a  Metho.list  class  of  not  more  than 
6ix  members.  They  organized  a  union  Sabbath  school,  with  Mr.  B. 
H.  Chapman  as  superintendent.  On  the  ^th  of  May.  1856,  Mr.  Gay- 
lord organized,  in  the  Council  Chamber,  the  firsl  Congregational 
church  in  Nebraska  with  nine  members— O.  I).  Richardson  and  wife, 
B.  H.  Chapman  and  wife,  James  W.  Seymour,  Mrs.  Allen,  himself, 
wife  and    daughter.     Early    in    1S56    the   first    Congregational    Bocietj 


.74  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


was  organized  to  take  measures  to  build  a  church,  and  T.  G.  Good- 
speed.  E.  Estabrook  and  L.  Miller  were  chosen  trustees  in  July. 
The  population  of  Omaha  was  then  about  five  hundred.  When  they 
determined  to  build  a  church,  by  the  foresight  of  Rev.  G.  G.  Rice, 
then  of  Council  Bluffs,  a  location,  the  site  of  the  edifice,  had  been 
set  apart  for  them  by  the  Ferry  Company,  then  owned  by  Omaha. 
The  Methodists  were  then  electing  their  first  house  of  worship,  on 
Thirteenth  street.  The  work  of  gathering  the  means  to  build  the  Con- 
gregational church,  making  contracts  and  getting  material,  had  de- 
volved upon  the  speaker,  and  it  had  been  no  easy  task.  The  saw- 
mill on  the  bank  of  the  river,  owned  by  Mr.  Salisbury,  was  con- 
tinually  besieged,  and  to  get  the  lumber  as  fast  as  it  was  needed  it 
was  necessary  to  have  a  team  ready  to  haul  it  away  as  soon  as  it 
was  cut.  The  whole  work  he  had  done  during  the  illness  of  his 
family,  except  when  his  family  physician,  Dr.  Miller,  volunteered  to 
aid  him.  While  the  church  was  building  service  was  occasionally 
had  in  the  dining  room  of  the  Douglas  House.  By  the  26th  of 
October,  1856,  they  were  enabled  to  hold  services  in  the  basement 
of  the  new  church.  Six  new  members  were  then  added  to  the  con- 
gregation, and  a  Sunday  school  was  established  with  Mr.  Kellom  as 
superintendent,  and  from  that  time  they  had  been  kept  up  without 
interruption.  In  1S57  the  Boyd  brothers  had  completed  their  contract 
for  the  carpenter  work  on  the  church,  Mr.  Robb  had  finished  the 
painting,  graining  and  seats,  and  Mr.  McAusland  had  placed  the  bell 
rim  and  lightning  rod  upon  the  steeple,  and  on  the  9th  of  August, 
1S157,  the  dedication  sermon  was  preached  to  a  full  house.  In  1S58, 
and  again  in  i860,  there  was  a  marked  degree  of  religious  interest, 
and  in  the  latter  year  a  union  prayer  meeting  was  held  nightly  for 
several  weeks  in  this  and  the  Methodist  churches.  The  Episcopalian 
church  was  the  next  organized,  in  the  old  State  House,  in  1856.  In 
June,     1857,    an     Old     School     Presbyterian     church    was    formed,   with 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


175 


Rev.  Mr.  Bergen  for  its  minister  ;  and  a  New  School  Presbyterian 
church  was  organized  in  i860.  The  speaker  had  continued  the  pastor 
of  this  church  until  1S64,  in  the  spring  of  which  year  he  accepted 
the  agency  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  for  Nebraska 
and  Iowa,  and  in  the  following  autumn  he  resigned  his  charge  ot 
the  church.  Including  the  original  nine,  he  had  received  eighty 
members  into  the  church.  The  church  had  originally  cost  $4,500, 
and  was  whollv  furnished  by  the  proceeds  of  a  fair  given  by  the 
ladies  in  the  building  known  as  the  St.  Charles  Hotel — the  first  fair 
ever  held  in    Nebraska." 

Rev.  Mr.  Stowell  ministered  for  a  while  in  the  Congregational 
church.  Rev.  W.  W.  Rose  then  preached  a  year  or  two,  and  was 
followed  by  Rev.  E.  S.  Palmer.  Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill,  the  present 
pastor,  was  ordained  in  1S69,  and  in  1S70  took  charge  of  the  new  church. 

The  Roman  Catholics  built  and  completed  the  first  church  edifice 
— a  brick  structure — in  Omaha.  It  still  stands  on  Eighth  street, 
between  Harney  and  Howard,  but  is  not  now  used  for  church  pur- 
poses. The  cathedral  on  Ninth  street  was  built  about  ten  years 
ago.  It  is  presided  over  by  the  Right  Reverend  James  O'Connor, 
Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Nebraska,  who  was  recently  consecrated. 
being   the    successor   of  the   late   lamented    Bishop  O'Gorman. 

The  second  church  was  the  First  Methodist,  on  the  west  side  ot 
Thirteenth   street,    between  Farnham   and    Douglas.       It    was    erected    in 

6  on  the  lot  donated  by  the  Ferry  Company,  and  has  since  given 
place  to  a  brick  business  building  known  as  Church  Block.  The 
brick  church  on    Seventeenth  Btreel    was  erected  aboul   1867  or  [868. 

The  Episcopal  congregation  of  Trinity  Church  was  organized  b) 
Rev.  (,.  W.  Watson,  in  1856,  and  in  1859  a  sma"  brick  church  was 
built  on  the  Bouthwesl  corner  of  Farnham  and  Ninth  streets,  on  a 
ten-year  lease,  it  being  provided  in  the  lease  thai  the  improvements 
should    revert     to    theowner     of    the     land    at     the    expiration   of    the 


i;6 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


CATHOLIC    CATHEDRAL    AND    BISHOP'S    RESIDENCE. 

period  which  was  in  1869.  This  building  was  then  converted  into 
the  Tivoli  beer  garden  and  music  hall,  for  which  purposes  it  has 
been  used  ever  since.  The  Trinity  people  then  moved  to  the  south- 
east corner  of  Capitol  avenue  and  Eighteenth  street,  where  they  put 
up  a  frame  church  in  1867,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1S72. 
Their  present   house  of  worship    was  soon  afterwards   built. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


177 


The  dean  of  Trinity  Cathedral  is  Rev.  Frank  JR.  Millspaugh. 
The  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Nebraska  is  under  the  charge  of  Right 
Reverend    R.    II.    Clarkson,    Bishop. 

The  Lutheran  Church,  a  brick  building  on  the  north  side  of 
Douglas  street,  between  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  streets — Rev.  W.  A. 
Lipe,   pastor— was   built  in   1S61,  and  dedicated  February    16.    1S62. 

The  German  Catholic 
Church,  on  Douglas  street, 
was  erected  in  1S69.  Rev. 
Father  Groenebaum  is  the 
priest   in    charge. 

The  Presbyterian  church, 
a  magnificent  brick  structure 
at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Seventeenth  •  and  Dodge 
streets,  was  built  in  1S69,  the 
present  pastor  being  Rev. 
Dr.  G.    W.    Stewart. 

St.  Marks,  [Episcopal]  in 
South  Omaha,  a  frame  struc- 
ture, was  erected  in    1869,  tin' 
pastor  being  Rev.  James  Pat-  30^ 
erson;  and  St.  Barnabas,  also  "^83 

Episcopal,  was  built  in  1870 — 

..    ."" '  r  T~.  ,  PRESBYTERIAN      CHURCH. 

it  1ms  no  minister  at  present. 

The  Baptist  church,  a  brick  edifice  at  the  southeast  coiner  of 
Davenport  and  Fifteenth  streets— Rev.  E.  H.  E.  Jameson,  pastor— was 
built   in    [870. 

The  Eighteenth  street  M.  E.  church,  in  charge  of  Rev.  I.  N.  Par 
dee,  was  moved  from  North  Omaha  to  its  present  location,  and  recon- 
structed in    1873. 


7^ 


II I  STORY    OF    OMAHA. 


There  are  numerous  other 
church  edifices,  of  small  size,  in 
Omaha,  of  recent  erection,  and 
there  are  about  twenty-five  dif- 
ferent  church   organizations. 

The  oldest  of  the  secret  societies 
in  Omaha  is  the  Odd  Fellows,  the 
the  first  lodge  having  been  estab- 
lished in  January,  1856.  The 
order  in  this  city  is  now  composed 
of  four  or  five  lodges,  who  in 
common  built  the  Odd  Fellows' 
Hall,  a  handsome  three  story  brick 
structure,  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  Fourteenth  and  Dodge  streets, 
about  two  years  and  a  half  ago,  at 
a  cost  of  %  18,000.  The  Ferry  Com- 
pany when  laying  out  the  town 
baptist     church.  gave    a    lot    to   the    Odd    Fellows, 

and   it   is  on    this    identical    lot   that   their    hall    stands. 

The  next  oldest  secret  society  is  the  Masons,  Capitol  Lodge  having 
been  instituted  in  1857.  There  are  now  about  a  half-a-dozen  or  more 
lodges  and  orders  of  this  nourishing  fraternity,  and  they  are  erecting  a 
three  story  brick  hall,  to  cost  $15,000,  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Sixteenth  street  and  Capitol  avenue.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  on 
the  2 1st  of  October,   1S76.* 

Besides  the  above  orders  there  are  several  other  secret,  as  well  as 
benevolent  societies  of  more  recent  birth,  prominent  among  which  are 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  who  are  in  a  nourishing  condition. 


'The  first  72  pages  of   this  history,    which    was    then  in    the  hands  of   the   printer,  was 
ted,  with  other  articles,  in  the  corner  stone. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


•79 


ODD     II   l.l.'iu  s      i;i  Qi    !■ 


i So  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


HISTORY  OF    THE  PRESS. 


THE     FIRST     NEBRASKA    NEWSPAPERS THE     ARROW     AND     THE    NEBRAS- 

KIAN THE    WEEKLY     TIMES THE    OMAHA     REPUBLICAN THE    TRIB- 
UNE  THE     FIRST     DAILY  :       THE     TELEGRAPH — THE     HERALD THE 

DAILY     TIMES THE     DAILY     BEE DAILY     DISPATCH — DAILY    UNION 

OTHER    PUBLICATIONS. 

JLTHOUGH  the  Arrow  has  been  mentioned  as  the  first 
Omaha  newspaper,  it  was  not  strictly  an  Omaha  in- 
stitution as  it  was  printed  in  Council  Blufts.*  The 
first  paper  that  was  set  up  and  printed  with  its  own 
type  and  press  was  the  Nebraskian,  a  Democratic 
sheet,  which  was  established  in  the  fall  of  1854,  shortly 
'C^jTa Jr  after  the  twelfth  and  last  number  of  the  Arrow  had 
been  published.  Bird  B.  Chapman,  who  lived  in  Ohio,  and  who 
made  it  his  business  to  come  to  Nebraska  to  run  for  office  at  every 
available  opportunity,  brought  with  him  a  complete  newspaper  outfit 
and  started  the  Nebraskian  with  John  Sherman  as  editor  and  Joe 
Strickland  as  printer.  This  paper  was  published  in  the  interests  of 
Chapman,  who  was  Nebraska's  first  delegate  to  Congress.  Its  office 
for  two  or  three  years  was  in  a  building  put  up  for  it  by  A.  J.  Hans- 
com.  where  the  Grand  Central  now  stands,  which  was  afterwards 
rented  to  John  R.  Porter  for  a  store  After  Chapman  stopped  run- 
ning   for    office,    the    paper    had    a  precarious   existence   in   its  passage 

''See  chapters  VII  and  VIII. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA.  1S1 

through   different    hands  until    1S64,    when    the   sheriff  choked    out   of  it 
the   little   life   there   was  in    it. 

The  Weekly  Times,  a  Democratic  paper,  was  established  in  1S57 
by  William  W.  Wyman,  who  made  a  very  respectable  paper  of  it,  both 
in  size  and  appearance.  He  erected  during  that  year  the  brick 
building  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  Douglas  streets,  for 
the  Times  office  and  for  a  postoffice,  he  having  been  sometime  pre- 
viously appointed  postmaster.  He  arranged  the  basement  with  the 
idea  of  putting  steam  presses  therein  at  the  proper  time,  but  this 
idea  was  not  carried  out  till  some  years  afterwards,  and  then  bv 
other  parties.  This  fact,  however,  shows  that  he  comprehended  the 
importance  to  which  the  press  would  soon  attain  in  Nebraska.  He 
disposed  of  his  office  to  the  Nebraskian  being  compelled  to  abandon 
journalism    on    account    of  his  poor  health. 

The  Omaha  Democrat,  started  in  1S5S  by  Hadlev  D.  Johnson, 
struggled    along  for  a  few   months,   and   then    died. 

The  first  number  of  the  Omaha  Republican,  a  weekly  paper, 
started  by  Ed.  F.  Schneider  and  Harrison  J.  Brown,  was  issued  on 
the  5th  of  May,  1858.  In  [859  it  was  sold  to  E.  I).  Webster,  E.  B. 
Taylor  and  1*:.  A.  McClure — the  second  gentleman  now  dead,  and  the  last 
now  of  the  cracker  manufacturing  firm  of  McClure  ..V  Smith— pur- 
chased the  Republican,  and  in  1863  began  issuing  it  as  a  daily.  tn 
[866  St.  A.  I).  Balcombe  bought  it,  and  on  April  1,  1871,  il  was 
consolidated  with  the  Tribune,  an  opposition  Republican  paper. 
which   had  been  started   on    the   25th  of  January,   [870,   by  J.     B.    Hall 

and  others.  It  then  became  .1  Stock  Company  and  -ailed  under  the 
double  head  of  Tribune  and  Republican  until  [873,  when  it  resumed 
it-  old  name  of  Republican.  Mr.  Balcombe  withdrew  iron,  the  paper 
in  1875.  It  is  now  edit.-d  and  managed  bj  D.  C  Brooks,  under 
whose  supervision  it  has  been  greatly  improved  during  the  past  year. 
The   first    regular    daily   newspaper    was    Tin     Telegraph,    the    first 


i82  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


number  being  issued  December  5th,  1S60.  It  was  a  small  four-column 
paper,  and  was  "  published  simultaneously  at  Omaha  and  Council 
Bluffs."  H.  Z.  Curtis  was  the  editor  and  proprietor,  and  W.  II. 
Kinsman,  associate  editor.  It  was  short-lived,  not  running  more  than 
a   year. 

The  Omaha  Daily  Herald  was  established  in  1865,  by  Dr.  George 
L.  Miller  and  D.  W.  Carpenter,  the  former  being  the  editor.  Lyman 
Richardson  and  John  S.  Briggs  published  the  Herald  for  a  short 
time  in  1868,  and  upon  Mr.  Briggs  retiring,  the  firm  became  Miller 
&  Richardson,  Dr.  Miller  resuming  the  editorial  pen.  The  Herald 
was  published  till  1874  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  Eberhart's 
Bazar,  northwest  corner  of  Douglas  and  Thirteenth  streets,  which, 
as  already  stated,  was  erected  by  W.  W.  Wyman,  the  former  proprie- 
tor of  the  Times.  In  the  above  year  Miller  &  Richardson  built, 
and  moved  into,  the  office  now  occupied  by  the  Herald,  next  to 
the  Grand  Central  Hotel.  The  Herald  is,  and  always  has  been, 
the    leading  Democratic    paper    of    the    Northwest. 

The  Daily  Evening  Times,  an  independent  sheet,  was  started  by 
Peter  F.  O'Sullivan,  William  E.  Cook,  John  Howard,  Ern  W.  Cald- 
well and  Charles  Collins,  in  t868,  and  after  being  run  here  a  short 
time    was   removed   to   Sioux   City. 

Julius  Silversmith's  Journal  of  Commerce,  started  in  1869,  was  a 
failure    and   lived    but   a   few    days. 

The  publication  of  the  Daily  Bee  was  commenced  in  June,  1871, 
by  Edward  Rosewater,  and  it  has  grown  step  by  step,  from  a  small 
sheet,  to  a  large  and  influential  journal,  extending  in  circulation  and 
wieldino-  a  powerful  influence  throughout  the  entire  trans-Missouri 
country.  It  is  an  independent,  fearless  Republican  paper,  and  as  such 
meets  with  a  hearty  and  substantial  support.  The  Daily  Bee  is  the 
only  Nebraska  journal  that  has  had  the  enterprise  to  enter  the  broader 
field    of  journalism — the    publication    of     two    editions     daily — morning 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  183 

and  evening — the  former  for  outside  circulation  and  the  latter  for 
the  city.  It  is  the  only  paper  in  Nebraska  that  had  enterprise 
enough  to  inaugurate  the  expensive  luxury  of  issuing  illustrated  annual 
supplements,  and  its  supplement  of  1S75  was  taken  as  a  model  by 
several  other  western  papers  for  their  New  Year's  supplement  of 
1876. 

The  Daily  Dispatch,  established  in  1S73,  by  J.  C.  Wilcox,  soon 
subsided,    not    living   more   than   two'  or   three   months. 

The  Daily  Union  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  printers'  strike  in  Jan- 
uary, 1874.  The  striking  printers  combined  and  started  it  with  high 
hopes  of  success,  but  the  enterprise  was  consigned  to  an  early  grave, 
in     the  fall  of  the   same  year. 

The  Agriculturist,  after  an  existence  of  five  or  six  years,  finally  died 
in   October  of  the    present  year. 

There  are  several  other  papers  and  periodicals,  of  comparatively 
recent  birlh,  which  are  all  doing  well.  The  Omaha  High  School,  a 
monthly  by  J.  F.  McCartney  ;  the  monthly  Nebraska  Journal  of 
Commerce,  bv  Taylor  Bro's.;  the  Weekly  Post  and  Bcobachtcr.  a 
a  German  paper  by  Dr.  A.  Sorel  :  the  Weekly  Pokrok  Zapadu, 
(Progress  of  the  West)  a  Bohemian  paper,  published  by  Mr.  E. 
Rosewater  ;  the  Weekly  Danshe  Pioneer,  by  Mark  Hansen  ;  the 
Weekly  Folkets  Tidning,  a  Swedish  paper;  the  Con,/ actor's  Monthly 
Magazine,  by  W.  H.  Morse;  the  monthly  Excelsior,  a  juvenile 
sheel  by  Clemie  Chase  ;  the  Jolly  Joker,  also  a  monthly  juvenile 
publication,  by  Chas,  Bunce  ;  MI  Sort-,  a  similar  monthly  by  W. 
R.  Bartletl  ;  and  the  Midland  Monthly,  a  literary  periodical,  which, 
bi  the  way,  is  a  magazine  of  considerable  literary  ability, 
ducted  by    Henry    D,    Est'abrook   and    r.   M, 


184  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


THE     TELEGRAPH 


BRIEF      BIOGRAPHY      OF      EDWARD      CREIGHTON,    WHO      BUILT    THE    FIRST 
LINE      TO      OMAHA,    AND    WHO      ERECTED    THE      PACIFIC    LINE      ACROSS 

THE      PLAINS HIS      NUMEROUS      TELEGRAPHIC      UNDERTAKINGS     AND 

BUSINESS       ENTERPRISES HOW       HE      BECAME     A     MILLIONAIRE THE 

PRESENT     IMPORTANCE     OF     OMAHA     AS     A    TELEGRAPHIC     POINT. 

r^S^-  •  ■   u       ,      ,        r 

fj^'^js^jHE     history    of  the    telegraph,  in    connection    with    that   ot 

a^-«  of  Omaha,  will  prove  an  interesting  chapter,  and  it 
cannot  be  told  without  relating  the  history  of  the 
late  Edward  Creighton,  who  built  the  first  line  for  Stebbins 
to  Omaha,  from  Missouri,  and  soon  afterward  the  Pacific 
"  ,  ■  —  V  line  across  the  plains,  thus  acquiring  a  national  fame  and 
/^"^O        a   princely    fortune. 

Mr.  Creighton  was  born  August  31st,  1S20,  in  Belmont  county, 
Ohio.  His  youth  and  young  manhood  were  spent  first  as  a  laborer 
and  afterwards  as  a  contractor  in  building  railroad  and  telegraph 
lines.  He  drifted  to  the  Southern  States,  and  steadily  pursuing  this 
business,   he   there    accumulated   some    $12,000   or  $15,000. 

In  iS,6  he  paid  a  short  visit  to  Omaha,  his  brothers,  John  A. 
Creighton,  Joseph  Creighton,  and  James  Creighton,  and  his  cousin 
James  Creighton,  who  were  residing  in  Omaha  at  that  time. 

In  the  fall  of  1S56  he  was  married  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  to  Miss 
Mary    Lucrdtia    Wareham,   and  in    1857   he   removed   to  Omaha,    which 


THE    LATE    EDW  VRD   I   Rl  IGH  I  I  »N, 

Builder     '  -'■■  .'  '/>,i- 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA.  1S5 

became  his  permanent  home.  He  built  the  brick  house  on  the  north 
side  of  Chicago  street,  between  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth,  soon 
after   his    arrival,  and   occupied   it  ever   afterwards. 

He  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a  short  time,  obtaining 
his  stock  from  Pittsburg  by  steamboat.  During  the  year  1858  and  a 
portion  of  1S59,  he  was  in  Arkansas  building  a  telegraph  line  from 
Jefferson,  Missouri,  to  Ft.  Smith,  Arkansas,  for  Stebbins,  the  tele- 
graph contractor,  who  had  certain  territory  in  which  to  construct 
lines.  After  finishing  this  job,  Mr.  Creighton  returned  to  Omaha, 
and  in  i860  built  the  Missouri  &  Western  line  for  Stebbins  from 
St.  Louis  to  Omaha,  the  first  one  to  reach  this  city,  the  second  line 
arriving  here  being  the  Illinois  &  Mississippi  Valley  line  in  1861. 
Mr.  Creighton  had  already  conceived  the  idea,  in  1S59,  °f  build- 
ing a  telegraph  line  from  the  Missouri  river  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 
He  soon  afterwards  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  there  consulted 
with  Jephtha  H.  Wade,  a  rich  man  and  a  heavy  stock-holder  in  the 
Western  Union  line,  about  the  undertaking.  Mr.  Wade  directed  him 
to  communicate  with  Gen.  Carpentier,  of  California,  who  was  pres- 
ident of  the  California  State  Telegraph  Company,  then  running  a  line 
between   San   Francisco  and   Sacramento. 

After  some  considerable  delay,  however,  the  Western  Union  Com- 
pany, through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Wade,  agreed  to  furnish  Mr. 
Creighton  with  the  means  for  a  preliminary  Burvej  of  the  route 
between  the  Missouri  river  and  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  was  during 
the  winter  of  1860-61.  A  trip  across  the  plains  in  those  days  with- 
out an  escort  was  a  very  perilous  feat,  and  one-  which  verj  few  had 
the  courage  to  perform,  as  the  whole  country  swarmed  with  Indians, 
and  settlements  were  few  and  far  between.  Bu1  Mr  Creighton,  then 
in   the  prime  of  his    manhood,  did    not    hesitate   to    atari    out   on    this 

dangerous    trip.      lie    went    from    Omaha    to    Salt     Lake     bj    Stage    <  oaeh . 

He  remained  at   Salt   Lake  s(.mr  little   time   making   the  acquaintance 

12 


186  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

o\  Brigham  Young  and  getting  him  interested  in  the  overland  tele- 
graph project.  He  not  only  succeeded  in  this,  but  he  made  a  warm 
friend   of  Brigham    Young,    who    ever   after    continued   so. 

Wade,  in  the  meantime,  had  gone  to  San  Francisco  by  steamer, 
and  he  sent  for  Mr.  Creighton  to  come  on  from  Salt  Lake  to  Sac- 
ramento to  assist  him  in  making  arrangements  with  the  California 
parties.  He  then  pushed  on  for  the  Pacific  coast,  making  his  prelim- 
inary survey  on  horseback  by  the  way  of  Virginia  City,  following 
the  pony  express  route  to  Sacramento.  It  was  a  fearful  ride,  and 
he  suffered  intensely,  his  face  being  severely  frost-bitten.  This  south- 
erly route  was  considered  more  practicable  than  a  route  farther  north, 
where  it  was  feared  the  heavy  snows  would  interfere  with  the  tele- 
graph   lines. 

An  agreement  was  made  that  Creighton  should  build  a  line 
from  Julesburg  to  Ft.  Laramie,  thence  through  the  South  Pass  to 
Salt  Lake,  to  connect  there  with  a  line  from  the  Pacific  coast, 
which  was  to  be  put  up  by  the  California  parties.  The  Missouri 
and  Western  line,  the  reader  is  reminded,  had  been  extended  from 
Omaha   to  Julesburg. 

Mr.  Creighton  and  Mr.  Wade  came  back  by  steamer,  and  soon 
after  his  return,  early  in  the  spring  of  1861,  Mr.  Creighton  engaged 
a  very  large  number  of  men  and  teams,  and  began  the  work  at  once. 
One  great  stimulus  to  the  rapid  completion  of  the  work  was  the 
passage  ot  a  bill  by  Congress,  granting  a  subsidy  of  $40,000  per  an- 
num for  ten  years  to  the  Pacific  Telegraph  Company,  as  the  cor 
poration,  which  had  been  organized  for  the  undertaking,  was  called, 
and  in  which  company  the  Western  Union  owned  the  controling 
stock. 

It  was  a  lively  race  between  Mr.  Creighton  and  Mr.  Street,  who 
had  the  superintendence  of  the  construction  of  the  California  line, 
as  to   who    would    reach   Salt  Lake  first,  and    thev  made   a    wager    that 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA.  1S7 

the  victorious  line  should  take  the  earnings  of  the  other  until  it 
reached  Salt  Lake.  They  also  made  other  wagers.  Mr.  Creighton 
got  there  first  with  his  line.  He  reached  Salt  Lake  on  the  17th  day 
of  October,  1S61,  beating  the  California  line  just  one  week,  when  the 
lines  were  connected  and  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans  were  united 
by  the   electric  current. 

As  an  inducement  for  Mr.  Creighton  to  undertake  this  enterprise, 
the  company  gave  him  the  privilege  of  taking  $100,000  in  stock,  and 
allowed  him  a  certain  length  of  time  to  accept  or  reject  the  offer. 
He  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  accepted  the  stock.  So  san<mine 
was  he  of  success  that  he  invested  all  the  money  he  had,  besides 
hypothecating  his  interest  in  a  New  Orleans  line,  which  he  had 
built  some  years  previously.  For  the  $100,000  stock  that  he  pur- 
chased of  the  Pacific  Telegraph  Company  as  an  investment,  he  paid 
only  about  eighteen  cents  on  the  dollar.  He  thus  became  the  pos- 
sessor of  one-tenth  of  the  company's  stock,  which  was  $1,000,000. 
Soon  after  the  Pacific  line  was  completed,  the  Western  Union 
doubled  their  stock,  and  the  Pacific  company  tripled  theirs,  thus  in- 
creasing Mr.  Creighton's  shares  to  $300,000.  The  Pacific  Companv's 
6tock  then  rose  from  twenty  cents  to  eighty-five  cents.  Mr.  Creigh- 
ton then  sold  $100,000  or  one-third  of  his  stock,  for  $85,000,  and  then 
had  the  snug  sum  of  $200,000   hit. 

Mr.  Creighton  was  general  superintendent  of  the  construction,  and 
was  general  manager  of  the  line  from  Chicago  to  Salt  Lake  from 
'In-  time  it  was  completed  till  1S67.  A  line  was  in  process  of  con- 
struction from  Chicago  to  Omaha,  and  Mr.  Creighton,  as  a  piece  of 
Strategy,  ran  the  Pacific  line  over  to  Council  Bluffs,  making  ii  the 
terminus  temporarily,  and  thus  forcing  the  Chicago  company,  who 
thoughl  he  was  going  to  pu6h  right  on  to  Chicago,  to  lease  their 
line  to  the   Pacific    Telegraph. 

Mr.  Creighton    invested   a   large   portion   ol   his    profits,  arising  from 


,SS  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


his  telegraph  speculations,  in  the  freighting  business  from  Omaha 
across  the  plains  to  Denver  and  Salt  Lake,  and  afterwards  to  Mon- 
tana, before  the  days  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  In  1863,  when 
Montana  was  first  invaded  by  the  gold  hunters,  he  fitted  out  several 
large  wagon  trains  with  merchandise  for  that  territory,  upon 
which  immense  sums  were  realized.  The  first  of  those  Montana 
trains  was  composed  of  thirty  teams,  in  charge  ot  James  Creighton, 
who  in  thirty  days'  sales  made  $33,000,  which  he  brought  back  to 
Omaha  with  him.  The  next  year  he  took  a  train  of  forty  mule 
teams  to  Montana,  where  Mr.  John  A.  Creighton  had  remained  as 
salesman,  and  the  amount  realized  from  this  trip  was  $52,000.  There 
were  others  of  Mr.  Creighton's  freight  trains  that  turned  out  equally 
as  well. 

In  1S64  Mr.  Creighton  ventured  into  the  cattle  business  in  Ne- 
braska, and  the  Indians  ran  ofi'  all  his  herds.  He  started  again,  this 
time  on  Laramie  plains,  he  being  the  pioneer  cattle  man  in  that 
section  of  the  West.  He  had  immense  herds  of  cattle  roaming  the 
plains,  from  which  he  supplied  the  Union  Pacific  construction  trains 
with  beef  while  the  road  was  being  built  from  Cheyenne  westward. 
He  continued  in  the  profitable  business  of  raising  cattle,  as  well  as 
horses,   sheep    and   mules,   until    his  death. 

When  the  First  National  Bank  was  started  in  1863.  Mr, 
Creighton  became  a  heavy  subscriber  to  the  stock,  and  was  elected 
president,  and   he  ever   afterwards  retained    that  position. 

In  1866  Mr.  Creighton  built  a  telegraph  line  to  Montana  from 
Salt  Lake,  his  brother  John  A.  Creighton  superintending  the  work,  and 
about  the  same  time  he  erected  a  line  from  Julesburg  to  Denver, 
While  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  was  being  constructed,  he  took 
large  contracts  for  grading,  and  also  put  up  the  company's  telegraph 
lines. 

It   is    a    fact     that    Mr.    Creighton     conceived     the    idea   of    securing 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  189 

telegraphic  communication  with  Europe  by  running  a  line  "up  the  Pacific 
coast  to  Behring's  Strait,  across  which  he  intended  to  throw  a 
submarine  cable,  and  then  extend  a  line  through  the  Russian  pos- 
sessions. He  induced  the  Western  Union  company  to  make  the 
coast  survey,  and  the  scheme  no  doubt  would  have  been  carried  out, 
had  not  the  successfal  laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable  rendered  such  an 
undertaking  unnecessary.  It  was  the  Atlantic  cable  that  stopped  the 
work,  and  had  that  failed  we  would  to-day,  through  the  efforts  of 
Edward  Creighton,  have  had  telegraphic  communication  with  Europe 
via  Behring's    Strait. 

Mr.  Creighton  was  also  heavily  interested  in  the  Omaha  & 
Northwestern  railroad,  and  did  considerable  towards  building  up 
Omaha  in  various  other  ways.  He  erected  the  handsome  three-storv 
brick  block  called  after  his  name,  and  with  others  he  loaned  $100,000 
to  the  Omaha  Hotel  Company,  with  which  they  completed  the  Grand 
Central.  During  his  residence  in  Omaha  he  amassed  a  fortune  of  over 
$1,500,000  by  his  numerous  enterprises  and  undertakings.  He  made  sev- 
eral liberal  donations  during  his  life-time  to  the  Catholic  church,  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  and  also  to  St.  Mary's  Convent,  and  Mercy  Hospital. 
He  died  on  the  5th  of  November,  P874,  aged  54-  from  the  effects  of  a 
second  stroke  of  paralysis.  His  wife,  a  most  estimable,  amiable  and 
charitable  lady,  followed  soon  afterwards,  she  dying  on  the  23d  of  Jan- 
uary, 1876.  By  her  will  the  vast  property  was  divided  among  the  rel- 
atives of  her  husband  and  herself,  and  the  sum  of  $200,000  was  provided 
for  the  erection  of  a  Catholic  college  at  Omaha  to  be  called  after  Mr. 
Creighton's  name.  This  last  bequest  was  made  in  accordance  with  a 
wish  often  expressed   by   Mr.   Creighton   during  his   life-time. 

Omaha  has  much  to  thank  Edward  Creighton  lor.  In  making 
Omaha  the  initial  point  of  the  Pacific  telegraph,  lie  virtually  made 
this  city  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  ;  and  it  was 
his      influence     that      attracted      to      Omaha      various      enterprises,     a- 


i9o  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

well      as      capftal,     as     he      made     this      city     his     base     of     operations. 

In  [863  Omaha  had  three  wires — one  from  St.  Louis,  one  from 
Chicago,  and  one  to  San  Francisco.  The  Western  Union  consolidated 
with  the  Pacific  telegraph  and  the  two  lines  have  since  been  operated 
as  one.  In  1S70  the  Great  Western  Telegraph  was  built  from  Chicago 
to  Omaha,  connecting  with  the  Pacific  coast  over  the  Union  Pacific 
and   Central   Pacific   railroad  wires. 

The  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Telegraph  Company  established  their 
lines  west  from  Omaha  to  San  Francisco  in  1S69,  and  in  1873  con- 
structed a  line  between  Omaha  and  Chicago  to  connect  their  western 
and   eastern  systems. 

Twenty-three  wires  now  enter  Omaha,  each  one  terminating 
here.  There  are  now  in  Omaha  fifteen  telegraph  offices,  of  which  the 
Union  Pacific  ha*  nine,  located  at  their  headquarters,  train  dis- 
patchers' offices,  depots,  shops,  bridge  offices,  etc.  The  others  are 
those  of  the  Western  Union  and  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Telegraph 
Companies,  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Qiiincy,  the  Chicago  &  Rock 
Island,  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  B.  &  M.  in  Nehraska,  and  the 
Kansas   City,  St.  Joe    &    C.    B.   railroad    companies. 

In  <hese  various  offices  are  employed  no  less  than  forty  opera- 
tors,  besides    the   clerks,   messengers,    line     repairers,     battery    men,   etc. 

The  commercial  lines,  namely,  the  Western  Union  and  Atlantic 
&  Pacific,  make  Omaha  the  relaying  station  for  all  the  telegraphic 
communication  between  the  East  and  West,  every  message  passing 
through  Omaha  being  repeated.  This  involves  considerable  labor  and 
requires  a  large  force  of  operators.  It  is  estimated  that  the  com- 
mercial telegraph  companies  here  handle  about  1,500  messages  daily, 
including  local  and  through  business.  They  also  handle  from  15,000 
to  20,000  words  of  press  dispatches.  The  Union  Pacific  railroad 
offices  in  this  city  send  and  receive  probably  one  thousand  messages 
daily,    including    train    orders. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  lyI 


Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  nearly  2,500  telegrams  are  sent  and  re- 
ceived in  this  city  daily,  and  estimating  the  press  report  at  a  basis 
of  twenty  words  to  the  message,  will  swell  the  number  to  3,500 
messages,  which    will  amount  to   70,000    words  or  350,000   letters. 

In  1S63  a  message  of  ten  words  from  Omaha  to  New  York,  cost 
$5.65 ;  from  Omaha  to  Chicago,  $3.55 ;  from  Omaha  to  St.  Louis 
the  same  ;  and   other    points    in  the   same    ratio. 

Now  a  message  of  ten  words  from  Omaha  to  New  York  costs 
$2.00  ;  1o  Chicago,  75  cents  ;  to  St.  Louis,  75  cents  ;  night  messages, 
half  rates,  with  privilege  of  twenty  words.  This  great  reduction  has 
been    brought    about  by  competition. 

Frank  Lehmer  is  the  manager  of  the  Omaha  office  of  the  West- 
ern Union  line,  and  Mr.  L.  M.  Rheem  has  charge  of  the  Atlantic 
&  Pacific  office,  Mr.  J.  J.  Dickey  being  the  superintendent  of  the 
latter  line, 


19- 


HISTORl'    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER     XXVI. 


THE  DAYS  OF  STEAMBOATING  AND    STAGING. 


A  PROFITABLE  BUSINESS  WHILE  IT  LASTED — HOW  A  COUPLE  OF  PILOTS 
MADE  A  BIG  STAKE  ON  ONE  TRIP PORTER  AND  DEUEL,  STEAM- 
BOAT   AGENTS — "THERE'S    MANY    A    HOLE    IN    A    SKIMMER." 

■TEAMBOATING  on  the  Missouri  was  a  large  and 
profitable  business  from  the  time  Omaha  was  located 
up  to  the  year  1867,  when  the  railroads  reached  here.  A 
?C  very  large  amount  of  money  was  invested  in  river 
transportation  during  the  years  that  Omaha  re- 
mained the  principal  head  of  navigation  on  the  Missouri. 
Freights  were  sometimes  very  high,  and  to  show  what 
was  occasionally  realized  on  a  single  trip,  we  will  relate  a  little  incident. 
In  the  fall  of  1S56  a  couple  of  adventurous  river  pilots  bought  an 
old  stern-wheel  steamer  in  St.  Louis,  and  loaded  it  with  goods,  putting 
on  all  it  could  possibly  carry.  They  made  the  trip  to  Omaha, 
reaching  here  about  the  middle  of  November,  and  delivered  their 
freight  at  five  cents  per  pound  from  St.  Louis.  They  then  returned 
to  St.  Louis  with  their  steamer  before  the  river  closed,  clearing  on 
the  venture  enough  money  to  not  only  pay  for  their  boat,  but  to 
have  a    surplus   of  a    few   thousand    dollars   beside. 

The  principal  steamboat  agents  during  the  period  previous  to 
the  railroads  were  John  R.  Porter  and  H.  P.  Deuel,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Porter  &  Deuel.  Judge  Porter  came  here  in  the  spring 
of   1856   and     went     into   the    commission    business     with    Riddler.    and 


HI  ST  ORT    OF    OMAHA.  193 

shortly  afterwards  with  Bremen,  with  whom  he  continued  in  business 
two  or  three  years.  The  first  fire  in  Omaha  was  the  one  that  de- 
stroyed their  store  in  December,  1S56,  bv  which  $9,000  was  lost.* 
The  building  stood  on  the  lot  now  covered  by  the  Grand  Central 
Hotel.  In  1S59  Mr.  Deuel  succeeded  Bremen,  and  the  firm  be- 
came Porter  &  Deuel.  They  were  the  agents  for  the  packet  line 
and  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joe  railroad.  Mr.  Porter  was  the  first 
railroad  ticket  agent  in  Omaha,  and  used  to  carry  the  tickets  in  his 
hat,  something  after  the  style  of  the  first  postmaster,  Mr.  A.  D. 
Jones.  He  continued  in  the  steamboat  and  railroad  ticket  business 
for  fifteen  years,  Mr.  Deuel  being  connected  with  him  for  the  last 
ten   years    of  that   period. 

The  arrival  and  departure  of  steamers  was  from  two  to  seven 
per  week,  and  their  arrival  was  always  regarded  as  quite  an  im- 
portant event.  When  the  dull  sonorous  whistle  of  a  long  expected 
boat  was  heard  far  off  to  the  south  there  would  be  a  grand  rush, 
pell-mell,  of  nearly  all  the  people  in  town,  on  foot,  on  horseback, 
and  in  vehicles  of  every  description,  to  the  landing  place  and  there  they 
would  impatiently  await  her  arrival.  It  was  customary  in  those  days, 
while  a  boat  was  unloading  her  freight,  to  have  a  grand  dance  on  hoard, 
bv  the  citizens.  The  first  boat  up  in  the  spring  was  always  considered 
the  great  event  of  the  boating  season,  as  it  brought  up  a  fresh  sup- 
ply of  goods  of  every  description  to  replenish  the  stocks  of  the  mer- 
chants who  had  sold  out  pretty  much  of  everything  during  the  Ion- 
winter. 

The    Western    Stage  Company     ran    eastward    from    Omaha   through 


*  Omaha  ivjw  has  a  fire  department  which  is  without  doubt  the  best  one  in  the 
West.  The  Pioneer  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  was  organized  May  1st,  1860,  as  an 
independent  institution,  the  numbers  owning  the  property  The  first  engine  was  a  hand 
machine  the  "  Fire  King,"  which  arrived  here  in  the  Spring  of  1866-  Steamer  No.  1  arrived 
in  the  fall  of  1867,  steamer  No.  2  in  1868,  and  No.  ;  in  187D.  The  Union  Pacific  has  also  a 
steamer,  the  "  Durant,"  at  the  railroad  shups.  The  discipline  of  the  Omaha  fire  depart- 
ment is  excellent,  and  their  success  in  extinguishing  fires  has  been  remarkable  10  Eu 


k,4  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

Iowa,  and  between  this  line  and  the  packets  there  existed  a  great 
rivalrv  to  catch  the  passengers.  The  overland  stages  also  ran  from 
Omaha  to  Kearney,  connecting  there  with  the  main  line  for  Califor- 
nia   and    Colorado. 

Porter  >.V  Deuel  would,  without  being,  certain  as  to  the  arrival 
or  departure  of  boats,  nevertheless  sell  all  the  tickets  possible  to  pas- 
sengers who  wished  to  go  down  the  river  to  travel  east  by  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joe  ailroad.  Of  course  they  would  say  that  the 
boat  would  be  up  by  the  next  day,  or  that  it  was  expected  every 
hour.  Two  or  three  days  and  nights  might  elapse,  and  no  boats  would 
appear,  probably  having  been  stuck  on  a  sand-bar  or  detained  by 
heavy  wind.  The  passengers  would  become  uneasy  and  turbulent. 
The  Western  Stage  Line  men  would  solicit  them  to  go  east  by  their 
coaches,  and  advise  them  to  get  their  money  back.  Then  the  men 
would  go  to  Porter  &  Deuel  and  ask  for  their  money.  The  reply 
would  invariably  be,  "  Gentlemen,  don't  get  restless,  we  expect  a 
boat  up  every  hour.  We  can't  refund  your  money,  as  we  have  already 
remitted  it  to  headquarters,  and  we  don't  propose  to  take  it  out 
of  our  own  pockets."  The  disappointed  passengers  would  wait  an- 
other day,  and  becoming  more  restless  than  ever,  they  would  call 
again  on  Porter  &  Deuel,  who  would  finally  be  obliged  to  pay  for 
their  meals  and  furnish  them  with  blankets  to  sleep  in  the  warehouse 
rather  than  refund  the  money.  When  affairs  got  to  this  crisis  men 
began  to  swear  and  make  threats,  and  Porter  &  Deuel  would  con- 
sequently keep  out  of  the  way  till  a  boat  did  arrive,  and  even  then 
the  craft  might  be  too  small  to  accommodate  all,  or  the  passenger 
capacity  might  be  sold  ahead,  and  then  there  would  be  more  trouble. 
But  the  agents  always  managed  to  get  out  of  these  little  scrapes,  for 
"there's  many  a  hole  in  a  skimmer,"  as  Deuel  used  to  say  then,  as 
he    does  now. 

Porter  &   Deuel  continued  in   this  business  until   1867.     Judge  Porter 


HIS  TOR)'    OF    OMAHA  un- 


built the  office  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Farnham  and  Tenth  streets 
for  the  St.  Joe  road,  the  seccmd  one  to  reach  Omaha,  soon  after 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern.  Mr.  Porter  was  the  agent  for  this 
road,   and    resigned    upon    his   being  elected  Police  Judge   in    1S69. 

In  1S6S  the  Chicago.  Burlington  &  Quincv  railroad  was  completed. 
Harry  Deuel  became  the  agent,  and  has  ever  since  been  connected 
with    the    road. 

John  A.  Horbach  was  also  engaged  in  the  steamboat  ticket 
and  freight  business  in  those  days,  and  Capt.  W.  P.  '  Wilcox,  of  the 
drv-goods  rirm  of  Stephens  &  Wilcox,  was  one  of  the  early  steam- 
boat captains  on  the  Missouri,  being  engaged  for  manv  years  in 
navigating  the   stream. 


itj6 


msroin-    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


THE    RAILROADS. 


HE      CHICAGO     AND     NORTHWESTERN     THE     FIRST     TO    REACH    OMAHA 

THE     KANSAS      CITY,     ST.     JOE      AND      C.      B.     CAME     SECOND THE    CHI- 
CAGO    AND    ROCK    ISLAND   THIRD THE     CHICAGO,      BURLINGTON    AND 

qjJINCY     FOURTH THE    OMAHA     AND    NORTHWESTERN THE     B.     AND 

M.       IN      NEBRASKA THE      BUILDING      OF       THE     UNION     PACIFIC     AND 

SOME      INCIDENTS      CONNECTED      THEREWITH GRAND     CELEBRATION 

AT    OMAHA     UPON     ITS    COMPLETION THE     BRIDGE ILLUSTRATION 

THE   INITIAL    POINT     FIGHT THE     OMAHA     AND    REPUBLICAN    VALLEY 

RAILROAD A      PLEASANT    REMINISCENCE  OF    GEN.     SHERMAN. 

)S  long  ago  as  1855  the  Mississippi  <S:  Missouri  River 
railroad,  now  known  as  the  Chicago  ,$:  Rock  Island, 
was  pushing  its  way  slowly  westward  from  Chicago, 
and  Omaha  and  Florence  were  then  rivals  for  the  ter- 
minus. Of  the  two  routes — one  down  the  Pigeon 
Creek  Valley,  and  the  other  down  the  Mosquito  Val- 
'^>\iVr«r  ^eY — *he   comPanv    selected    the     latter,   thus    disappoint- 

ing the  high  hopes  of  Florence,  but  the  road  was  not  completed  till 
the  spring  of  186S,  the  financial  crash  of  1S57  having  had  a  tendency 
to    retard    its  progress. 

The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad  was  the  first  to  reach 
Omaha,  the  first  train  coming  in  from  the  East  on  Sunday,  January 
17th,  1867. 

Next     came     the     St.    Joe    &    Council     Bluffs   road — now     called    the 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  197 

Kansas  City,  St.  Joe  &  Council  Bluffs,  or  as  it  is  more  popularly 
known,  the  Omaha  &  St.  Louis  Short  Line.  Frank  Moores  is  the 
Omaha    ticket   agent    of  this    road. 

The  Burlington  &  Missouri,  now  called  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  railroad,  was  completed  in  186S.  Harry  Deuel  is  the 
Omaha  ticket  agent  of  this  road  as  well  as  ot  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western and   Chicago    &    Rock  Island    railroads. 

The  Omaha  &  Northwestern  was  begun  in  1869,  and  was  built  to 
Herman,  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  During  the  present  year  it  was 
extended  seven  miles  further  to  Tekamah.  The  first  president  of  this 
road  was  Mr.  James  E.  Boyd,  who  was  greatly  instrumental  in  or- 
ganizing the  company.  Had  it  not  been  organized  just  at  the  time 
it  was,  Omaha  would  not  have  the  road.  The  proposition  to  submit 
the  voting  of  bonds  for  the  Omaha  &  Southwestern  road  was  then 
being  agitated,  and  the  Omaha  &  Northwestern  company  was  hurri- 
edly organized  so  that  their  bonds  could  be  submitted  at  the  same 
time.  The  stock  in  the  Omaha  &  Northwestern  went  rather  slow 
after  a  certain  amount  had  been  disposed  of.  Then  James  E.  Boyd 
took  three-twentieths,  or  one-sixth  of  the  whole  amount,  William  A. 
Paxton  two-twentieths,  and  John  A.  Morrow  two-twentieths.  The 
other  stock-holders  were  John  A.  Redick,  Herman  Kountze,  Edward 
Creighton,  Jonas  Gise,  John  A.  Harbach,  C.  II.  Downs,  Frank 
Smith,  G.   M.    Mills,  and    the    Millards. 

The  Omaha  &  Southwestern  was  commenced  in  1869  and  built  to 
Lincoln,  the  capital,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  The  president  was  S.  S. 
Caldwell,  and  among  the  stockholders  were  John  Y.  Clopper,  Clinton 
Briggs,  Henry  Gray,  Frank  Murphy,  A.  S.  Paddock,  and  Prank 
Smith.  In  1S72  this  road  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Chicago,  Bur 
lington  >.V  Quincy  railroad,  which  corporation  extended  it  to  Kearney, 
where   it   unites    with    the     Union    Pacific,    about     one    hundred   and 

ninety     miles     from    Omaha.        This    line    is     m,«     called    the    Burlington 


198 


H/STOin'    OF    OMAHA. 


S.   Missouri     in   Nebraska.     The    general     offices   are  located  at  Omaha, 
having     been    moved  here  from    Plattsmouth   about    a   year   ago.     Mr. 

William    Irving   is    the    general    superintendent. 

It  is  over  the  B.  &  M.  in  Nebraska,  the  Atehison  &  Nebraska 
and  the  Missouri  Pacific  that  Omaha  now  has  a  through  line  to  St. 
Louis  on  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri  river.  This  line  was  estab- 
lished in  the  early  part  of  this  year,  and  is  called  the  Omaha  & 
St     Louis    Cut-off.        H.  D.  Shull  is  the  Omaha  ticket  agent. 

Omaha  now  has  six  passenger  trains  daily  to  and  from  Chicago, 
four  to  and  from  St.  Louis,  besides  the  Union  Pacific  trains,  and  those 
of  the  Omaha  &  Northwestern  and  B.  &  M.  in  Nebraska.  Omaha 
has  also  direct  railroad  communication  with  Sioux  City  and  St.  Paul. 

The  history  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad — the  grandest  and  most 
important  enterprise  of  the  kind  that  was  ever  undertaken— is  still 
fresh  in  the  public  mind,  but  nevertheless  that  history,  however 
briefly  related,  will  ever  prove  of  great  interest  to  the  reader, 
especially  if  he  be  a  resident  of  Omaha.  We  shall  speak  more  es- 
pecially   of    the    facts    and     incidents   relating    to    Omaha,    as    this    is    a 

local   history. 

The  project  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  ocean  had  long  been 
agitated,  in  a  vague  and  indefinite  way,  until  in  1S53,  the  government 
sent  out  four  different  parties  to  the  West  to  investigate  the  practi- 
cability of  such  a  road,  and  upon  their  making  a  favorable  report, 
the  scheme  was  discussed  at  various  times.  At  last,  in  the  year 
1862,  Congress  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  building  of  a  trunk 
road  from  the  one  hundredth  meridian,  which  was  two  hundred 
miles  west  of  Omaha.  There  were  to  be  three  branches,  one  from 
the  western  boundary  of  Iowa,  one  from  Sioux  City  west  and  the 
other  from  the  western  boundary  of  Missouri,  all  of  course  to  con- 
nect with  the  main  line.  The  routes  of  the  Sioux  City  and 
southern    branches    were    afterwards    changed. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


199 


The  initial  points  were  to  be  designated  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  on  the  17th  of  November,  1S63,  he  fixed  the  initial 
point  of  the  main  branch,  by  an  order,  as  follows  :  "  At  a  point 
on  the  western  boundary  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  opposite  section  ten, 
in  township  fifteen,  north  of  range  thirteen,  east  of  the  sixth  princi- 
pal meridian,  in  the  Territory  of  Nebraska."  The  act  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  provided  that  the  branch  reaching  the  one 
hundredth  meridian  first  should  build  the  remainder  of  the  line  and 
receive    a  donation   of   13,875,200   acres  of  land. 

A  company  for  the  undertaking  of  this  stupendous  project  was 
soon  organized,  and  on  the  morning  of  December  3d,  1S63,  a  dispatch 
came  from  headquarters  to  the  engineer  at  Omaha  directing  him  to 
begin  work  at  once.  The  good  news  soon  circulated  all  over  the 
city  and  created  the  most  intense  enthusiasm,  and  in  the  afternoon 
over  one  thousand  people  collected  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  telegraph 
crossing  on  the  bottoms,  and  "  broke  ground  "  with  great  ceremony. 
After  a  prayer  for  the  success  of  the  undertaking,  the  first  earth 
was  removed  by  Governor  Saunders  and  Mayor  Kennedy,  of  Omaha, 
and  Mayor  Palmer,  of  Council  Bluffs.  Guns  were  fired,  and  deafen- 
ing cheers  arose  from  the  assemblage.  Governor  Saunders,  Mayor 
Kennedy,  Dr.  G.  C.  Monell,  Hon.  A.  J.  Poppleton,  and  A.  V.  Lari- 
mer  each  made  a  speech  full  of  what  was  then  considered  extravagant 
predictions.  George  Francis  Train,  the  great  enthusiast,  was  present, 
and  in  his  speech  predicted  that  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  would  be 
completed  before  the  year  1S70.  His  audience  considered  that  a  little 
too  extravagant  and  laughed  at  him.  but  he  was  correct.  President 
Lincoln  and  many  prominent  men  sent  telegrams  to  Omaha  in  regard 
to  the  auspicious  opening  of  the  project,  and  they  were  received  with 
great   enthusiasm   by   the   crowd,   to   whom  they  were  read. 

The  next  spring,  [864,  the  work  of  grading  was  l'c;'im.  After  about 
one     hundred    thousand     dollars    had    been    Bpent    on    the     due   westerly 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


course,  it  was  abandoned,  because  it  was  too  hilly  to  allow  the  road 
to  be  completed  to  the  one  hundredth  meridian  in  time  to  save  the 
charter,  as  it  was  claimed,  and  two  new  routes  were  then  surveyed. 
One  was  to  the  north  and  thence  west.  The  other  was  to  the  south, 
nearly  to  Bellevue,  and  thence  northwest.  The  latter  was  called  the 
"ox-how,"  and  was  chosen  hv  the  company,  notwithstanding  the  violent 
opposition  of  the  people  of  Omaha,  who  had  great  fears  that  the  com- 
pany intended  to  cross  the  Missouri  river  at  Bellevue  and  leave  Omaha 
out  in  the  cold.  The  greatest  anxiety  existed  at  Omaha  at  this  time. 
Everything  was  finally  harmoniously  settled,  however,  and  upon 
the  abandonment  of  the  idea  of  starting  from  Bellevue,  Omaha  breathed 
easy    once  again. 

The  grading  was  then  rapidly  pushed  forward,  and  the  laying 
of  the  track  followed  almost  as  fast.  Every  twenty  miles  was  duly 
inspected  by  the  proper  persons,  appointed  for  that  purpose,  and 
numerous  excursions  were  made  to  the  end  of  the  track,  as  it  was 
moved  from  point  to  point.  Fifty  miles  of  the  road  were  completed 
and  in  running  order  by  the  ist  of  January,  1866.  The  ties  for  the 
road  from  Omaha  to  the  Platte  valley  were  obtained  from  the  Mis- 
souri river  bottoms.  Being  of  Cottonwood  they  were  put  through  the 
"  Burnetizing  Process,"  which  made  them  impervious  to  either  animal 
or  vegetable  parasites.  The  ties  for  the  remainder  of  the  road  were 
of  hardwood  and  were  obtained  from  Michigan,  Pennsylvania,  and 
other  distant  states,  and  frequently  cost  as  high  as  two  dollars  and  a 
half  per  tie  laid  down  in  Omaha.  There  was  a  break  in  railroad 
communication  between  Omaha  and  Des  Moines,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-three  miles,  and  consequently  everything  had  to  be 
transported  by  teams  from  that  point  or  by  steamboats  up  the  Missouri. 
The  seventy-horse-power  engine  of  the  railroad  shops  at  Omaha  was 
transported  in  wagons  from  Des  Moines  to  Omaha.  The  company 
started   their  extensive   shops  soon    after   beginning  the    work   of  build- 


HI  STOUT     OF    OMAHA. 


ing  the  railroad,  and  they  were  completed  in  the  fall  of  1865.  The 
shops  consist  of  a  dozen  or  more  large  and  substantial  brick  struct- 
ures, covering  an  extensive  area  of  ground.  They  give  employment 
to  between  six  and  seven  hundred  men,  among  whom  over  half  a 
million  of  dollars  is  paid  out  annually.  Mr.  J.  H.  Congdon.  is  super- 
intendent of  the  locomotive  department,  and  Mr.  George  E.  Stevens 
is    the  superintendent    of  the  car    department. 

There  were  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  laid  during  the  vear 
1S66 ;  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  in  1S67  ;  and  from  January  1st, 
iS68  to  May  10,  1S69,  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  miles  were  laid, 
completing  the  road. 

The  great  work  was  finished  in  three  years,  six  months  and  ten 
days  from  the  time  it  was  started.  This  was  about  seven  years 
sooner   than    the    limit    fixed   by   Congress. 

In  the  construction  of  the  road  there  were  used  300,000  tons  uf 
rails,  1,700,000  fish-plates,  6,Soo,ooo  bolts,  6,126,375  ties,  and  23,505,500 
spikes. 

The  Casement  brothers,  contractors,  frequently  laid  the  track  at 
the    rate   of  five   miles    per   day. 

During  the  building  of  the  road,  and  afterwards,  the  Indians  oc- 
casionally molested  the  employes,  and  on  one  occasion,  in  August, 
1867,  they  attacked  a  freight  train  near  Plum  Creek.  The  fireman 
and  engineer  were  instantly  killed,  and  the  body  of  the  fireman 
was  thrown  into  the  fire-box  of  the  locomotive  and  burned  to  a 
crisp.  One  of  the  brakemen  escaped,  and  running  along  the  track 
saved     an    approaching    train     from    the    same    fate. 

The  celebration  at  Omaha  in  honor  of  the  completion  of  the  road 
and  its  junction  with  the  Central  Pacific  was  a  grand  affair.  It 
was  a  general  holiday  for  everybody.  Private  and  public  build- 
ings were  ornamented  with  decorations  of  all  kind- 
festoons,  banners  and  mottoes.  A  telegraph  line  was  run  to  a 
'3 


II I  STORY    OF    OMAHA. 


building  on  Capitol  Hill,  and  direct  communication  was  had  with 
Promontory,  where  the  golden  spike,  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
roads,  was  being  driven  into  the  last  tie — of  laurel  wood — with  a 
silver  hammer.  When  the  last  blow  was  given  at  Promontory  it  was 
instantly  known  at  Omaha,  where  one  hundred  guns  were  fired  in 
rapid  succession    when    the   announcement    was    made. 

A  procession  was  formed  in  the  afternoon  on  Farnham  street,  and 
with  flags  and  banners  flying,  marched  to  Capitol  Square  where  the 
meeting  was  presided  over  by  Gov.  Saunders.  Eloquent  speeches 
were  made  by  Gen.  Clinton  B.  Fisk,  of  Missouri,  and  Gen.  Manderson 
and  Judge  Wakeley,  of  Omaha,  amidst  the  most  unbounded  enthu- 
siasm. 

The  illumination  in  the  evening  was  a  brilliant  spectacle.  The 
city  was  one  blaze  of  light,  while  the  display  of  pyrotechnics  was 
very  beautiful.  It  was  the  grandest  day  that  has  ever  been  recorded 
in   the   history  of  Omaha. 

While  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  was  in  process  of  construction 
and  for  some  time  afterwards,  Omaha  was  a  very  busy  city,  and 
during  those  few  years  she  made  rapid  strides,  both  in  acquiring 
population,  in  general    improvements,  and    in   wealth. 

The  next  thing  necessary  was  a  railroad  bridge  at  Omaha  over 
the  Missouri.  This  structure  was  not  commenced  until  after  the 
Union  Pacific  had  been  finished,  although  the  initiatory  steps  had 
been  taken  in  1866  by  getting  an  act  passed  through  Congress.  A 
fight  arose  as  as  to  its  location,  whether  it  should  be  a  low  bridge 
at  the  "  Telegraph  Poles,"  or  six  miles  down  the  the  river  at  "Child's 
Mills."  Council  Bluffs  objected  to  the  "Telegraph  Poles,"  and  both 
Council  Bluffs  and  Omaha  opposed  "Child's  Mills."  The  location 
where  the  bridge  now  stands  was  finally  agreed  upon.  Omaha  voted 
$250,000  in  bonds  as  aid  to  the  bridge,  in  consideration  that  she, 
should  have    the   main   transfer   depots,  general  offices,    machine     shops, 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA.  203 


etc.  Conncil  Bluffs  voted  $200,000  in  bonds  on  the  same  condition 
but  the  company  never  received  them,  and  of  course  Omaha  obtained 
the  principal  benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  enterprise.  The  Bridge 
Company  was  authorized  by  special  act  of  Congress  to  issue  bonds 
to   the  amount   of    $2,500,000,    and    these    bonds    were  sold    in  England. 

The  Boomer  Bridge  Company,  of  Chicago,  on  the  4th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1S6S,  secured  the  contract  of  building  the  bridge  for  $1,089,500, 
the  time  of  its  completion  to  be  November  10,  1S69.  Thev  were 
greatly  delayed  and  did  not  get  the  first  cylinder  ready  for  sinking 
until  Mapeh,  1S69.  In  July  following  the  Union  Pacific  took  hold  of 
tycyf€r\,  the  contract  having  been  annulled  with  the  Boomer  Bridge 
jmpany. 

The  structure  was  completed  on  the  25th  of  March,  1S73,  It  is 
two  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long — eleven  spans  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  each — and  is  composed  entirely  of  iron. 
The  superstructure  is  supported  by  piers,  each  formed  of  two  iron 
pneumatic  tubes,  sunk  in  sections,  and  filled  with  cement  masonry, 
each  tube  eight  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter.  About  live  hundred 
were  employed  constantly  in  the  construction  of  the  bridge, 
die  exception  of  seven  or  eight  months  suspension  of  work  ; 
and  ten  steam  engines  were  used  in  hoisting  material,  driving  piles, 
excavating,  and  otherwise  putting  the  different  parts  of  the  bridge  in  posi- 
tion. The  elavation  of  the  bridge  above  high  water  mark  is  fifty  feet. 
The  bridge  is  approached  from  the  Iowa  side  by  a  grade  about  one 
mile  and  a  half  long,  thirty-five  feet  rise  to  the  mile,  and  on  the  Ne- 
braska side  theie  is  a  trestle-work,  now  filled  in  with  earth,  about 
fifty  feet  in  height  and  about  seven  hundred  feet  long.  This  bridge. 
one    of   the   largest    in    the  country,   is   said   to    have  COSl    Over  $2,000,000, 

It   is    a  masterpiece  of  engineering  ami   mechanical  skill. 

When     the     work     w,i>     finished,    the     transfer      of     passeiyfer 
was     done     away    witli     of     1  ie    0!  1    woo  leu 


204  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


on  the  bottoms  and  on  Ninth  street  were  abandoned  as  soon  as  the 
present  large  brick  depot,  with  iron  truss  root",  was  completed,  at  a 
cost    of    over     $100,000. 


UNION    PACIFIC     BRIDGE    OVER    THE    MISSOURI    RIVER. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  bridge  a  fierce  struggle  arose  between 
Council  Bluffs  and  Omaha  as  to  which  place  should  be  the  initial 
point  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  the  real  question  being  whether 
the  Union  Pacific  should  cross  its  trains  over  the  bridge  to  Iowa, 
or  the  Iowa  roads  come  over  to  Nebraska.  Both  parties  were 
obstinate,  and  as  the  Iowa  roads  held  out,  they  being  obliged 
to  under  the  Iowa  laws  which  gave  them  existence,  the  Union 
Pacific  resorted  to  a  little  strategy.  They  organized  a  "  Bridge 
Transfer  Company,"  and  operated  it  as  a  separate  institution,  thus 
making  a  transfer  at  Omaha,  and  conveying  passengers  and  freight 
over    the   bridge   by   transfer    trains. 

Council  Bluffs  had  always  maintained  that  the  eastern  terminus 
of  the  road  was  in  Iowa,  according  to  President  Lincoln's  order, 
and  thev    finally  brought  a    mandamus   suit     against    the    Union    Pacific 


HIS  TOR r    OF    OMAHA. 


compelling  them  to  show  cause  why  they  should  not  operate  their 
road  as  a  continuous  line  to  and  from  the  Iowa  side  of  the  Mis- 
souri river.  Judge  Dillon  decided  the  case  in  favor  of  Council  Bluffs, 
compelling  the  road  to  run  its  through  trains  to  and  from  the  Iowa 
side  of  the  river,  and  allowing  them  to  still  charge  the  usual  toll 
on  the  bridge.  This  decision  was  affirmed  by  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  Union  Pacific  began  running  their  through 
trains  to  and  from  Spoon  Lake  station,  in  compliance  with  this  order, 
in    May    of  the    present   year. 

The  general  offices  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  are  located  at 
Omaha.  Mr.  S.  H.  H.  Clark  is  the  general  superintendent  ;  Mr. 
Thomas  L.  Kimball  is  the  general  ticket  agent  ;  E.  P.  Vining,  gen- 
eral freight  agent;  J.  W.  Gannett,  auditor;  O.  F.  Davis,  land  com- 
missioner. 

The  Union  Pacific  company  is  now  building  a  branch  road  called 
the  Omaha  &  Republican  Valley  railroad.  It  is  being  constructed 
from  Valley  Station  to  Wahoo,  in  Saunders  county,  and  the  cars 
will  be  running  from  Wahoo  to  Omaha  by  the  ist  of  January,  1S77. 
Saunders  county  recently  voted  $140,000  in  bonds  to  aid  this  road, 
which  is  to  be  pushed  on  through  Butler,  Polk  and  other  counties 
to  the  Republican  Valley.  This  new  route  opens  up  to  Omaha  the 
richest  agricultural   section   of  the    state. 

This  brief  sketch  cannot  be  more  appropriately  closed  than  by 
quoting  the  following  extract  from  a  chapter  of  Dr.  Miller's  "Home 
Gossip,"  which  appeared  in  the  Omaha  Herald  three  or  four  years 
ago  : 

"We  may  have  told  the  story  before,  but  it  will  hear  telling 
again  as  apropos  in  this  connection,  besides  being  a  good  thing  in 
itself.  When  Durant  took  a  locomotive  and  baggage  and  tlat  car 
for  the  first  excursion  over  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  General  Sher- 
man  was   the   chief  charactei   in    a   party   of  fifteen  or   twenty   gentle* 


206  HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 

men  who  rode  out  to  the  first  '  end  of  the  track,'  Sailing's  Grove, 
about  fifteen  miles  distant.  Mr.  Poppleton  and  others  were  in  the 
party.  There  was  no  passenger  car  in  the  '  train.'  The  flat  car, 
with  boards  placed  on  nail  kegs  and  covered  with  robes,  answered 
as  a  substitute.  The  baggage  car  contained  a  great  many  baskets  and 
bottles,  which  were  not  empty.  Durant  seldom  had  such  vehicles 
and  vessels  empty  in  those  days.  The  party  was  jolly  in  going  out, 
and  hilarious  in  coming  in.  The  inspiration  of  riding  over  fifteen 
miles  of  completed  Pacific  railway  inspired  all,  and  particularly  the 
hero  of  '  the  march  to  the  sea.'  Speeches  were  in  order  as  the 
'  train '  halted,  and  everybody  was  anxious  for  a  speech  from  Sher- 
man. Loud  calls  and  shouts  succeeded  the  usual  preparatives,  and 
the  soldier  arose  to  the  full  heigh th  of  the  occasion.  He  recounted 
his  own  experience  in  sinking  five  or  more  thousands  of  dollars,  long 
years  ago,  in  California,  in  an  effort  to  start  the  Pacific  railroad, 
reviewed  the  dream  of  other  days,  and  wound  up  with  the  expression 
of  a  hope,  half  in  despair,  that  he  might  live  to  see  the  day,  but 
could  scarcely  expect  it  at  his  age,  when  the  two  oceans  would  be 
connected  by  a  complete  Pacific  railroad.  In  thirty-six  months  from 
that  time  the  distinguished  soldier  scaled  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  one 
of  Pullman's  Palaces  at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour,  over  one 
of  the   best  constructed   and    best    managed   railways  in   America.' " 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


207 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 


OLD  LANDMARKS,  AND  INCIDENTS  CONNECTED  THERE- 
WITH. 


THE    OLD    STATE    HOUSE    AND    TERRITORIAL    CAPITOL    NUMBERED    AMONG 

THE     THINGS     OF     THE     PAST THE     OLDEST      BUILDING      IN     OMAHA 

PIONEER   BLOCK SOME  OLD    RESIDENCES THE  OLD     DOUGLAS    HOUSE 

THE    OLD     CITY    HOTEL THE     FIRST     POST      OFFICE     BUILDING     AND 

THE        POSTAL        SUCCESSION THE        COURT       HOUSE THE       HERNDON 

HOUSE  :        ITS       UPS      AND       DOWNS       AND      THE      WAR      BETWEEN    J.    T. 

ALLAN    AND     MRS.     BRONSON HOW    GEORGE     FRANCIS    TRAIN       CAME 

TO    BUILD    THE     COZZENS     HOUSE. 

ANY  of  the  old  Omaha  landmarks  have  disappeared, 
having  given  place  to  more  stately  buildings.  Among 
the  buildings  that  have  long  been  numbered  among  the 
things  of  the  past  are  the  eld  Stale  House  and  the 
Territorial  Capitol,  of  which  no  trace  now  remains. 
Without  doubt  the  oldest  building  now  standing  in 
Omaha  is  the  one-story  frame  house  now  standing  jusl 
north  of  the  City  Hotel  on  Tenth  street.  It  was  the  fifth  house 
erected  in  Omaha,  and  was  built  in  1854  by  the  first  sheriff,  P.  G. 
Peterson.  It  was  in  that  house  that  Dr.  C.  A.  Henry  was  chained 
to  the  floor  as  a  prisoner*  Peterson  sold  it  to  A.  J.  Poppleton  and 
W.  N.  Byers,  the  latter  of  whom  lived  in  it  for  two  or  three  years. 
It  was  afterwards  occupied  by  John  H.  Sahler  ;  and  Mr.  Poppleton 
himself  lived  in  it  for  over  two  years. 
*See  page    77. 


J(Ks  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


Pioneer  Block  was  the  first  brick  block,  comprising  two  or  more 
stores,  that  was  erected  in  the  city.  It  is  known  as  Nos.  178  and 
1S0  Farnham  street.  One  of  the  stores  was  built  by  Dr.  C.  A.  Henry 
and  the  other  by  II.  H.  Viscbcr  and  Allen  Root,  both  of  whom  are 
still  residents  of  Omaha.  Jones  &  Wood  kept  a  drug  store  in  1S56 
and  1S57  in  the  bnilding  now  occupied  by  C.  F.  Goodman,  the  whole- 
sale    druggist. 

The  only  brick  building  now  standing  in  the  city,  built  as  long  ago 
as  1S55,  is  the  Caldwell,  Hamilton  &  Co.  bank  building.  It  was 
erected  by  three  or  four  gentlemen  connected  with  the  Ferry  Company 
for  a  business  house,  and  was  rented  and  occupied  as  soon  as  com- 
pleted, which  was  in   1856. 

The  brick  house  on  the  block  bounded  by  Webster  and  Burt,  and 
Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  streets,  was  put  up  in  1S56,  and  was 
the  first  brick  house  erected  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city.  It  was 
built    by    Governor  Tzard    for  a   residence. 

The  frame  residence  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Dodge  and 
Eighteenth  streets  was  built  by  Secretary  Cuming  in  1S55  or  1856, 
and  his  widow,  a  most  respected  lady,  still  resides  there  with  her 
brother,    Hon.  Frank    Murphy. 

Dr.  Lowe's  brick  residence,  southwest  corner  of  Harney  and  Six- 
teenth streets,    was   built    in  1857. 

Gen.  Thaver  built  the  brick  house  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Davenport  and  Sixteenth  streets,  and  T.  G.  Goodwill  erected  the 
brick   house  just   east    of    it,  both    in    1857. 

Maj.  George  Armstrong  built  the  brick  house  on  the  north  side 
of  Dodge  street,  between  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth,  in  1857,  and  the 
next  year  he  built  the  brick  house  on  the  south  side  of  Dodge,  be- 
tween Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  A. 
Cahn. 

The   brick    house    at     the    southwest    corner    of  Capitol    avenue    and 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 

Ninth     street,      now     t';ist   going    to     decay,   was    built    by    George    W. 
C rowel  1    in    1856. 

The  brick  house  on  the  north  side  of  Dodge,  between  Fifteenth 
and  Sixteenth  streets,  now  owned  by  James  G.  Chapman,  was  built 
in  iS^6.  George  A.  McCoy,  who  still  reside  in  Omaha,  kept  a 
boarding  house    there    during  the    summer    and    fall    of  [856. 

The  old  Douglas  House,  a  frame  structure,  now  standing  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  Harney  streets,  was  built  early 
in  1855,  and  was  kept  for  a  while  by  Mr.  Goodwill,  now  dead,  and 
was  the  best  hotel  in  the  Territory  at  that  time.  The  steward  was 
Mr.  I-mace  Scherb,  who  still  resides  in  Omaha.  The  Fourth  of  July 
iS^5,  was  celebrated  at  this  house  by  a  grand  barbecue,  of  which 
Mr.  Scherb  had  charge.  Several  speeches  were  made,  one  of  them 
being  by  Secretary  Cuming,  aud  a  regular  programme  of  exercises 
was  carried  out.  The  celebration  ended  with  a  grand  ball  in  the 
evening.  The  Douglas  House  was  the  first  regular  hotel  opened  in 
Omaha.  George  M.  Mills  has  owned  the  building  from  [856  to  the 
present    time. 

The  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Harney  and  Eleventh 
streets  was  in  [856  one  of  the  leading  hotels  In  the  country,  and 
was  called  the  City  Hotel,  the  second  one  opened  in  Omaha.  It  is 
now    occupied    as    a    residence,    and    is   owned    by    Ezra    Millard. 

There  were  in  [856  not  enough  buildings  to  define  the  outlines  of 
the  street-.  It  was  thought  at  that  time  that  Harney  street  would 
be  the   leading    thoroughfare. 

In  the  spring  of  [856  the  post-office  was  established  in  the  building 
on  the  south  side  of  Harney  street,  between  Eleventh  and  Twelfth, 
the  mail  having  increased  to  such  proportions  thai  it  could  no 
longer  be  carried  in  a  stove  pipe  hat  .1-  postmaster  Jones  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  doing.  A  man  named  Lindley  had  aeted  lor  a  while 
as     Mr.     fones'    deputy,    and     had     promised     to    take     tl  iffice     H     lone- 


11 1  ST  OR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


would  resign.  This  was  done,  and  Lindley  then  put  the  office  into 
the  hands  of  a  Mormon  named  Frank.  Lindley  had  used  an  axe 
box  for  the  post-oihce,  and  Frank  improved  on  this  by  utilizing  a 
bushel  basket.  W.  W.  Wyman  finally  got  the  office,  and  after  a  while 
moved  it  into  his  own  building,  northwest  corner  of  Thirteenth  and 
Douglas  streets,  and  held  the  position  until  1S64,  when  George  R.  Smith 
was  appointed,  He  was  succeeded  in  1870  by  Mr.  John  II.  Kellom, 
who  was  soon  superseded  by  Joel  T.  Griffin.  Caspar  E.  Yost,  the 
present  incumbent,  stepped  into  the  position  in  1S72.  The  old  frame 
building,  mentioned  above,  in  which  Frank  did  business  and  had  the 
post-office  for  a  while,  stood  between  Judge  Lake's  residence  and  the 
cracker   factory,  and   was   burned   down   a    few   months   ago. 

In  the  spring  of  1857  the  City  Council  deeded  to  the  county  a 
block  then  known  as  Washington  Square,  bounded  by  Fifteenth, 
Farnham,  Sixteenth  and  Douglas  streets,  on  condition  that  a  court 
house  should  be  built  thereon.  All  the  lots,  except  the  ones  now- 
occupied  by  the  court  house,  were  sold  and  the  proceeds  applied  in 
the  erection  of  the  building,  which  was  begun  in  1857  and  finally 
completed  about  1859  or  i860.  Armstrong  &  Bovey  did  the  stone 
and    brick   work,  and  John    Davis  the   carpenter  work. 

The  Herndon  House  was  built  in  1S57  by  George  Bridge, 
Dr.  George  L.  Miller  and  Lyman  Richardson.  The  city  authorities 
had  made  a  proposition  in  the  summer  of  1S57  to  give  a  site  for  a 
hotel  of  the  size  and  character  of  the  Herndon  to  any  person  who 
would  bid  to  erect  such  a  building  for  the  smallest  lot  of  land. 
Bridge,  Miller  and  Richardson  secured  the  bid  and  the  city  gave 
them  a  block  and  a  half  of  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  where  the  Herndon 
now  stands.  They  sold  all  the  lots  except  two,  on  which  they 
began  the  hotel  with  the  money  thus  obtained.  They  then  borrowed 
Mxteen  thousand  dollars  from  the  city  in  scrip,  which  was  also  used 
in     the     construction     of    the     building,     which     when     completed     was 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


named  "The  Herndon  House,"  after  Lieutenant  Herndon,  who  was 
lost  on  the  steamer,  "  Central  America,"  which  was  on  her  way  up 
from  Panama  to  New  York,  about  that  time.  The  house  was  opened 
and  run  in  magnificent  style  by  M.  W.  Keith,  and  was  the  finest 
and  largest  hotel  west  of  Chicago.  It  was  considered  a  mammoth 
undertaking  in  those  days,  especially  for  a  place  the  size  of  Omaha. 
After  passing  from  landlord  to  landlord*  it  finally  went  into  the 
hands  of  the  sheriff  on  account  of  the  failure  of  the  original  builders 
and  owners  to  meet  their  obligations  incurred  in  its  erection.  Mr. 
J.  T.  Allan  then  took  hold  of  it  while  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
law,  and  ran  it  for  a  while  as  a  sort  of  bon  ton  boarding  house 
and    latterly    as    a   hotel. 

Mr.  Allan  was  succeeded  in  the  fall  of  1S66  by  Mrs.  Bronson 
who  leased  the  house  from  Dr.  Monell,  who  had  become  the  owner 
of  it. 

In  a  little  volume  entitled  "  Western  Incidents  connected  with  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,"  published  in  1S67,  Silas  Seymour,  the  author, 
gives  the  following  amusing  bit  of  history  in  connection  with  the 
Herndon  House,  the  incident  happening  in  October,  1866,  upon  his 
return  to   Omaha  from   the    West  : 

"We  found  that  the  Herndon,  which  has  long  been  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  prominent  institutions  of  Omaha,  was  in  a  sort  ot 
transition  state,  and  its  guests,  as  the  farmers  say,  'between  hay  ami 
grass.'  Our  long  time  friend  and  distinguished  host,  Mr.  Allan,  hail 
been  called  upon  by  Dr.  Monell,  the  landlord,  to  surrender  its  use 
and  occupation  into  the  fair  hands  of  Mrs.  Bronson,  who  hail 
recently  leased  it,  and  stood  ready  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  hostess 
as     soon     as     Mr.      Allan     could     find     it     convenient    to     evacuate   the 

*D.  W.  Hitchcock,  of  Chicago,  the  general  passenger  agent  of  the  I  rlington 

&  Quincy  railroad,  was  one  of  the  old  timers  of  Omaha,  and  was  the  cleik  of  the  Hern- 
don  House  when  the  late  Frank  Coffman  was  the  landlord. 


HISTORT    OF    OMAHA. 


premises,  all  of  which  the  said  Allan  seemed  in  no  haste  to  do. 
An  entire  week  had  been  spent  by  the  parties  in  strategy  and  legal 
skirmishing,  during  which  it  was  not  unusual  for  Mr.  Allan,  on 
visiting  the  kitchen  in  the  morning,  to  find  Mrs.  Bronson's  cooking 
stove  standing  in  the  place  of  his  own,  which  had  been  thrown  over 
the  adjoining  fence  during  the  night  ;  and  not  unfrequently  were  the 
guests  of  the  house  stopped  in  the  middle  of  a  meal  (while  waiting, 
perhaps,  for  more  warm  cakes)  by  intelligence  from  the  waiter 
that  the  stove  had  just  been  thrown  out  of  the  kitchen.  Fortu- 
natelv  for  us,  however,  Mrs.  Bronson's  stove  was  outside  of  the 
fence  when  we  arrived,  and  remained  so  during  the  following  day, 
Sunday.  *  *  The    difficulties    at  the  Herndon     House     were 

amicably  arranged  on  the  Monday  following  our  arrival  from  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  Mrs.  Bronson,  the  new  lessee,  was  fully  in- 
stalled   in    quiet    possession.' " 

About  the  year  1870  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  company  rented 
it  for  its  headquarters,  and  moved  into  it  from  the  old  State 
House  which  was  then  just  opposite  on  Ninth  street.  They  have 
occupied  the  Herndon  House  ever  since,  and  in  1875  they  purchas- 
ed it  for  $42,000  from  Dr.  Monell,  who  had  finally  become  the 
owner  of  it.  It  is  known  now  as  the  Union  Pacific  headquaarters. 
George  Francis  Train  was  stopping  at  the  Herndon  House  in 
1867,  while  an  editorial  excursion  was  visiting  Omaha.  One  day  in 
the  dining  room  he  sat  at  a  table  near  a  broken  window,  through 
which  the  wind  was  blowing  at  a  lively  rate.  He  complained  about 
it,  and  after  every  expedient,  except  putting  in  a  new  glass,  had  been  tried 
unsuccessfully  to  stop  up  the  hole,  he  paid  a  darkey  ten  cents  a 
minute  to  stand  in  front  of  the  window  between  it  and  himself  until 
he  had  finished  his  meal.  He  then  vowed  he  would  build  another 
hotel  immediately,  and  that  very  afternoon,  sure  enough,  he  purchased 
two   lots  and  had    men    at  work    digging  the  cellar,   and   in    sixty  days 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA.  ,,. 


he  had  the  Cozzens  House  completed,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  Before 
it  was  finished  he  had  it  rented  to  the  Cozzens,  of  West  Point.  New 
York,  from  whom  it  lakes  its  name,  for  $10,500  per  year.  They  ran 
it  for  a  year,  and  then  Philo  Rumsey  took  it  at  a  rental  of  $5,000 
per  year,  and  kept  it  for  three  years,  closing  out  in  the  fall  of  1S7C 
since   which   time   it  has  stood   vacant   as    a    hotel. 


ti4  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


CHARTER  XXIX. 


OLD  SETTLERS. 


THE       OLD      SETTLERS       ASSOCIATION ITS        OBJECT A        NOTABLE       RE- 
UNION  OLD     SETTLERS'    BALL      AT     THE    HERNDOJNT A    PARTIAL    LIST 

OF     OLD     SETTLERS DEATH    OF     WILLIAM     D.     BROWN,     THE     PIONEER 

OF    OMAHA     AND    ORIGINAL    CLAIMANT    OF    THE    TOWN      SITE. 

'N  January,  1S66,  the  old  settlers  of  Omaha  formed  the 
"The  Old  Settlers'  Association,"  it  being  composed  en- 
tirely of  those  men  who  located  at  Omaha  previous  to 
the  year  1858.  One  of  its  objects  was  social  intercourse, 
and  another  was  to  collect  and  preserve  important  statis- 
tics and  interesting  facts  of  the  past  history  of  Omaha 
for  future  reference  for  the  historian.  The  officers  of  the 
association  were  :  Dr.  Lowe,  President ;  Dr.  G.  L.  Miller,  vice  presi- 
dent, A.  D.  Jones,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Jones  as  secretary 
faithfully  performed  his  duties  as  long  as  the  association  existed.  He 
did  considerable  correspondence  with  different  persons  who  had 
resided  here  in  the  vicinity  at  an  early  day,  and  thus  obtained  many 
historical  facts.  He  has  now  in  his  possession,  in  the  defunct  society's 
'•  little  tin  trunk,"  a  vast  mass  of  letters,  newspaper  clippings,  and  manu- 
scripts of  his  own,  all  relating  to  the  early  history  of  Omaha,  and 
from  which  we  have  been  allowed  to  extract  considerable  information. 
Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  society  Dr.  Miller  had  a  re-union 
of  the  old  settlers  at  his  residence.  It  was  a  notable  gathering. 
There   were   present,   Wm.   D.  Brown,  the  first   ferryman  and  the  man 


HIS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


who  first  claimed  the  town  site ;  A.  D.  Jones,  the  first  postmaster 
and  surveyor;  Wm.  P.  Snowden,  the  first  actual  settler,  and  the  first 
auctioneer ;  A.  J.  Poppleton,  the  first  lawyer ;  John  Logan,  the  first 
man  married  in  Omaha  ;  Dr.  Lowe,  one  of  the  original  founders  of 
the  town  ;  Dr.  Miller,  the  first  physician  ;  John  Withnell.  who  assisted 
in  laying  the  first  brick  in  Omaha,  in  the  old  State  House ;  O.  B. 
Selden,  who  fired  the  first  forge ;  Col.  A.  R.  Gilmore,  the  first  U. 
S.  land  officer  in  Nebraska  ;  James  Megeath,  one  of  the  first  mer- 
chants in  Omaha ;  H.  D.  Johnson,  who  was  one  of  the  first  men  to 
run  for  Congress  ;  Capt.  McPherson,  who  ran  the  first  steam  ferry  ; 
Capt.  Downs,  who  assisted  A.  D.  Jones  to  survey  the  town  ;  Gen. 
Estabrook,  the  first  United  States  District  Attorney  for  Nebraska  ; 
Joseph  W.  Paddock,  the  first  clerk  of  the  first  House  of  Represen- 
tatives ;  Col.  Miller,  father  of  Dr.  Miller;  R.  N.  Withnell,  and  many 
others,    the   names   of  whom    we   have   been  unable  to  ascertain. 

On  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  January  i,  [867,  a  grand  "  Old  Set- 
tlers' Re-union"  was  held  at  the  Herndon  House.  The  honorarv  man- 
agers were  :  Dr.  Enos  Lowe,  Hon.  A.  S.  Paddock,  Hon.  A.  J. 
Poppleton,  Col.  Lewis  Merrill,  J.  II.  Lacey,  Francis  Smith,  Hadley 
D.  Johnson,  Hon.  John  I.  Redick,  Maj.  (Jen  Philip  St.  George 
Cook,  Brig. -Gen.  Myers,  James  M.  Woolworth,  Janus  Megeath 
Thomas  Davis,  Dr.  G.  C.  Monell,  Maj.  J.  W.  Paddock  and  Augus- 
tus Kountze.  The  floor  managers  were  :  J.  F.  Cofrman,  George 
Wallace,   Reuben    Wood,    A.    S.    Patrick   and    George   M.    Lloyd. 

The  "Old  Settlers'  Society,"  we  regret  to  record  the  fact,  bad 
but  a  brief  existence,  and  died  for  the  want  of  breath  sometime  in 
1868   we  believe. 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  old  settlers,  taken  from  an  old 
publication,  the  dates  representing  the  time  that  they  firel  stepped  oil 
Nebraska  soil  : 

Win.    D.    Brown,  June    5,     1850;     En08    Lowe.  June   25,    [853  ;    II     I). 


216  HISTORY    OF    UMAHA. 

Johnson,  October,  1853;  A.  D.  Jones,  November,  1S53  ;  C.  11.  Downs, 
April  23,  1854;  A.  K.  Gilmore,  May  24,  1854;  Wm.  P.  Snowden, 
]ulv  11,  1854;  O.  B.  Selden,  September  23,  1854;  J.  W.  Paddock, 
September  24,  1854 ;  Win.  Gray,  September,  1854 ;  Jobn  Witbnell, 
October,  1854;  S.  E.  Rogers,  October,  1854;  A.  J.  Poppleton,  October, 
13,  [854;  Lorin  Miller,  October  19,  1S54;  Geo.  L.  Miller,  October  19, 
1S54;  James  G.  Megeatb,  November,  1S54  ;  E.  Estabrook,  June  23, 
1S55  ;  John  Davis,  March  16,  1855  i  John  Evans,  March,  1855  ;  11.  H. 
Visscher,  April  3,  1855;  David  Richards,  April,  1855;  R.  N.  Withnell, 
May  2,  1S55  ;  Edwin  Patrick,  May  7,  1855  ;  E.  H.  Warner,  May  10, 
1855  ;  John  Logan,  July  9,  1S55  ;  O.  P.  Ingalls,  September  7,  1S55  ; 
John  P.  McPherson,  October,  25,  1855  ;  Rev.  R.  Gaylord,  December  25, 
1855  ;  M.  Shinn,  April,  1855  ;  J.  M.  Marston,  November  iS,  1855  ;  W. 
W.  Wyman,  June  5,  1855  ;  Allen  Root,  May  16,  1855  ;  A.  B.  Moore, 
April  22,  1854  ;  D.  C.  Sutphen,  September  4,  1857  ;  H.  B.  Paris, 
November  15,  1857;  M.  B.  Riley,  August  11,  1S57 ;  Daniel  Oantt, 
May  12,  1857  ;  J.  W.  Pickard,  December  19,  1855  ;  S.  A.  Orchard, 
November  15,  1855;  J.  II.  Sahler,  August  29,  1S56  ;  R.  S.  Knox, 
January   3,  1856. 

This  list  is  very  incomplete  and  we  regret  that  we  are  unable  to 
fill  it  out  as  it  should  be.  The  number  of  first  actual  settlers  is 
very  small,  but  if  we  draw  a  distinction  between  first  settlers  and 
old  settlers  we  can  name  quite  number  of  persons  who  may  be 
regarded  as  among  the  latter.  Any  person  who  came  to  Omaha 
previous  to  1S60  ought  to  be  and  is  regarded  as  an  old  settler. 
Among  those  whom  we  can  call  to  mind  as  old  settlers  at  Omaha 
01"  in  the  vicinity  besides  those  mentioned  in  the  above  list,  and 
who  reside  here  at  the  present  time  are  the  following — and  several 
of  those  here  mentioned  may  be  numbered  among  the  first  settlers 
of  the    town  : 

A.  J.    Hanscom,  the  Creightons,  C.  W.  Hamilton,  Herman    Kountze, 


HI  ST  OUT     OF    OMAHA.  _>,- 


James  G.  Chapman,  Dr.  J.  K.  Ish.  O.  F.  Davis,  John  Green,  Peter 
Windheim,  the  Beindorfs,  Cam  Reeves,  the  Reeses,  Richard  Kimball, 
St.  John  Goodrich,  C.  S.  Goodrich,  Ezra  Millard.  J.  II.  Millard,  the 
Barkalows,  the  Durnalls,  Timothy  Kelley,  Dr.  Plummer,  Peter 
Frenzer,  Joe  Frenzer,  J.  M.  Clark,  the  McAuslands,  II.  O.  Jones,  Tom 
Murray,  Capt.  Marsh,  Harrison  Johnson,  James  Smith,  Geo.  Smith, 
M.  Hellman,  A.  Cahn.  Wm.  Sexauer,  the  Demarests,  John  A.  liar- 
bach,  G.  M.  Mills,  H.  R.  A.  Pundt,  Vincent  Burkle.v.  Judge  Lake, 
Hon.  James  M.  Woolworth,  Mrs.  Frank  Coffman,  the  Patrick-.  S. 
R.  Brown,  Randall  Brown.  J.  J.  Brown,  Wm.  F.  Sweesv.  A.  [. 
Simpson,  E.  F.  Cook,  F.  A.  Schneider,  J.  F.  Sheely,  John  M.  Sheelv, 
John  R.  Porter,  Harry  Deuel,  J.  R.  Meredith,  Dr.  Peck,  the  Roeders, 
Edwin  Loveland,  Fred.  Davis,  John  McCormick,  Josiah  S.  McCor- 
mick,  the  Homan  family,  Fred.  Court.  Peter  Hugus,  Eb.  Dallow, 
Senator  P.  W.  Hitchcock,  Senator  A.  S.  Paddock,  John  Yerger,  S. 
M.  Curran,  George  Silvester,  Byron  Reed,  John  Campbell,  E.  L. 
Eaton,  J.  W.  Tousley,  Rev.  W.  N.  McCandlish,  Joel  T.  Griffin,  Fred 
Drexel,  Joe  Redman,  David  Harpster,  Henry  Grebe,  Charles  Rar- 
bach,  Frank  Murphy,  J.  T.  Allan,  E.  A.  Allen,  Major  George 
Armstrong,  Judge  Briggs,  Gen.  J.  M.  Thayer,  (removed  to  Wyoming, 
of  which  Territory  he  is  Governor)  the  Dees,  Mrs.  \\ .  \\ .  Wvman, 
Mrs.  Cuming,  Mrs.  W.  I).  Brown  ami  family,  Mrs.  fesse  Lowe 
and  family,  F.  L.  Rut'.  Levi  Kennard,  (i.  A  McCoy,  Charles  Pow- 
ell, Ignace  Scherb  and  brother,  the  Shull  family,  J  S.  Gibson,  the 
Barkers,  Wiley  Dixon,  Hon.  John  I.  Redick,  now  Associate  justice 
of  New  Mexico,  the  Yates  family,  I).  Sullivan.  Tom  Riley,  John 
Riley.  Frank  Dellone,  Fred  Dellone,  James  M.  Winship,  John  Evans, 
Dr.  J.  P.  Peek.  W  A.  Gwyer,  W.  II.  S.  Hughes,  B.  E.  B,  Kenne- 
dy, the  Hartmans,  James  E.  Boyd,  Wm  A  Paxton,  G.  W.  Doane, 
Frank  Kleffner,  A.  \.  Frick,  I).  Whitney,  E.  B.  Chan, Her,  the  Med 
'ocks,  Father  Curtis.  Peter  Malone,  Michael  and  Jerry  Linahan  Paul 
M 


tS  HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 


and  A.  J.  Harmon,  Charles  P.  Birkett,  Samuel  E.  Rogers,  ferry  Ma- 
honey,  Ed.  F.  Tennery,  D.  S.  Parmelee,  John  Lutz,  E.  V.  Smith, 
Silas  A.  Strickland,  Pat  and  Michael  Connolly,  Thos.  O'Connor,  J. 
W.  Van  Nostrand,  A.  N.  Ferguson,  Pat  Dinan,  M.  Lavin,  Pat.  Mc- 
Donough,  Geo.  I.  Gilbert,  Milton  Rogers.  Martin  Dunham,  Thomas 
Martin,  Joe  Fox,  Dr.  Wm.  McClelland,  W.  J.  Kennedy,  John  Ken- 
nedy, John  Kennelly,  John  Petty,  the  Forbes  family,  Henry  Livesey, 
Thomas  Swift,  Luke  McDermott,  the  Lehmer  family,  Charles  Turner, 
C.  M.  Aumock,  Fred.  Kumpf,  J.  C.  Wilcox,  E.  S.  Seymour,  Mrs. 
C.  W.  Koenig,  the  Misses  McCheane,  Charles  Childs,  Fred.  Krug, 
B.  P.  Knight,  James    McArdle. 

William  D.  Brown,  the  first  pioneer  and  the  original  owner  of 
the  spot  where  Omaha  now  stands,  died  February  3d,  1S68.  Dr. 
Miller,  the  editor  of  the  Herald,  paid  the  following  tribute  to  his  memory  : 

"  Another  old  settler  is  dead.  Not  only  an  old  settler,  but  we 
may  add,  perhaps  the  eldest  among  the  early  settlers  ot  Omaha  and 
Nebraska.  William  D.  Brown,  the  original  founder  of  Omaha,  died 
at  his  residence  in  this  city  on  Monday  evening  last  in  the  fifty-fifth 
year  of  his  age,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  children,  three  daughters 
and  one  son,  to  mourn  his  loss.  The  circumstances  of  Mr.  Brown's 
death   are  as    follows : 

"On  Monday,  a  week  ago,  Mr.  Brown  visited  Council  Bluffs  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  some  property  interests,  and,  among  other 
things,  to  pay  some  taxes.  He  is  known  to  have  had  about  ninety 
dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  was  met  by  several  old  friends  in  his 
usual  health,  which,  by  the  way,  was  somewhat  broken,  when  he 
first  arrived,  but  having  been  there  a  day  or  two,  he  was  subse- 
quently found  on  the  streets  in  a  condition  which  called  for  the  active 
assistance  of  old  friends,  which  he  received,  being  as  well  known  in 
the  neighboring  town  as  he  is  in  Omaha.  He  had  been  badly  beaten 
and  bruised  in    his  face  and   over  his  person  by    some  unknown  ruffian, 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


and,  as  he  alleged,  robbed  of  his  money.  He  took  the  stage  for 
Omaha  on  Saturday.  Upon  arriving  on  the  corner  of  Thirteenth 
and  Douglas,  he  undertook  to  walk  to  his  residence,  but  he  fell  two 
or  three  times  in  the  effort,  and  was  finally  taken  home  by  kind 
friends  in  a  carriage,  where  he  arrived  in  a  very  exhausted  state, 
suffering  much  from  the  injuries  which  undoubtedly  hastened  his 
death. 

"  Mr.  Brown  stood  emphatically  prominent  in  this  and  neighboring 
communities  as  the  veteran  of  all  pioneers  in  Nebraska.  In  a  career 
of  nearly  forty  years  in  the  West,  we  find  him  known  through  all 
the  chief  towns  from  Galena  to  Ft.  Des  Moines  and  Omaha  in  this 
character.  Always  just  in  the  advance  of  civilization  to  the  west- 
ward, he  was  guided  by  an  intuitive  judgment,  based,  of  course,  upon 
his  strong  common  sense,  upon  that  line  of  latitude,  and  to  those 
points  which  mark  the  channels  of  commercial  intercourse  and 
development.  In  1S54  we  found  him  upon  this  very  spot,  the  first 
"claim"  to  the  soil  upon  which  this  city  now  stands  bein^  his.  He 
was  an  equal  owner  in  the  original  Omaha  Town  and  the  Council 
Bluffs  and  Omaha  Ferry  Company,  a  large  property  holder  and  a 
prominent  man.  He  was  almost  as  much  a  part  of  Omaha  as  the 
ground  on  which  it  has  been  built  up,  a  sort  of  land  mark  by  the 
side  of  the  broad  path  which  city  he  assisted  to  map  out  to  all  the 
older  residents,  as  well  as  to  many  of  the  new.  In  bis  more  vigor- 
ous life  he  was  a  man  of  unsullied  integrity  and  sound  intelligence, 
of  a  genial  heart  and  nature  which  engaged  all  who  knew  him  in 
warm  sympathy  with  him,  and,  in  expressing  our  own.  we  know 
we   express   the    regrets   of  all    who   knew    him    at    hi-    loss. 

"The  old  settlers  are  rapidly  passing  away.  Two  years  ago  tin- 
class  of  our  citizens  who  had  been  in  tin-  Territory  in  1855,  met  in 
social  gathering  at  tin-  residence  of  the  editor  of  this  paper.  William 
D.    Brown    and     Addison    R.    Gilmore,    since   dead,    u<t<-    there.     The 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


idea  of  an  Old  Settlers'  Association  took  shape  in  that,  to  us,  the 
most  interesting  gathering  we  ever  enjoyed,  which  has  since  been 
shamefully  neglected — an  idea  that  ought  to  receive  practical  atten- 
tion if  we  would  preserve  in  proper  permanence  of  form  the  rich 
incidents  of  the   early   life   of  our  growing  city    and   state." 


HIS  TOR r    OF    OMAHA. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


CONCLUSION. 


THE       OMAHA       OF       lO-DAY HER       WHOLESALE    TRADE,    BANKS,     MANU- 
FACTURES    AND     RAILROADS HER    SCHOOLS ILLUSTRATIONS  :    HIGH 

SCHOOL,     GRAND     CENTRAL    HOTEL,     AND    POST-OFFICE HER     FUTURE 

PROSPECTS. 

HE    Omaha  of    to-day    is    a    beautiful     city    of    twenty-five 

thousand    inhabitants.      Her    growth    for    the  last    few 

years  has  been  gradual    and    substantial.      The    people 

who    have  settled    here  during   this  latter  period   came  with 

a  determination    of    permanently    locating.      Her   numerous 

*gfcW£5*5    costly    and    handsome     public    and     private     buildings,     the 

r^^A~i        large    majority    of   which    were   erected    within    the    last  six 

years,  are   evidences    of  the    city's  substantial  character. 

Omaha,  owing  to  her  location,  has  become  an  important  railroad 
and  commercial  centre.  Her  railroads — eight  in  all — reach  out  in 
every  direction,  and  her  wholesale  trade  covers  a  vast  extent  of  ter- 
ritory. The  annual  sales  of  her  wholesale  dealers  foot  up  nearly 
$10,000,000. 

Omaha  is  fast  becoming  quite  .1  manufacturing  town.  Ten  years 
ago  she  did  not  have  a  single  manufacturing  establishment.  To-daj 
she  gives  employment  to  over  2.000  men  in  her  factories  and  work- 
shops alone.  She  has  the  largest  Smelting  and  Refining  Works  in 
America,  employing  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  and  doing 
an  annual   business  of  $5,000,000  :     she    ba-     five    or    Bis    breweries,    mak 


li IS TOR r    OF    OMAHA. 


ing  fifteen  thousand  barrels  of  beer  per  annum.  She  has  one  distil- 
lery doing  a  business  of  $700,000  and  paying  a  government  tax  of 
$316,000  per  year;  one  linseed  oil  mill  manufacturing  annually 
2, 500,000  pounds  of  oil  cakes,  and  120,000  gallons  of  oil  ;  one  large 
cracker  factory  ;  two  large  machine  shops  ;  about  a  dozen  cigar  fac- 
tories, turning  out  nearly  2,000,000  cigars  every  year  ;  three  soap 
factories,  making  nearly  100,000  pounds  per  month  ;  two  broom  fac- 
tories ;  one  extensive  carriage  factory  and  several  smaller  ones  ;  four 
brick  yards,  making  5,000,000  brick  annually  ;  one  cigar  box  factory, 
making  100,000  boxes  per  year ;  a  baking  powder  factory  ;  a  fence 
factory  ;  two  vinegar  factories  ;  one  grist  mill  ;  a  safe  factory  ;  several 
pork-packing  establishments,  together  with  numerous  other  industrial 
and  manufacturing  establishments  too  numerous  to  mention,  all  con- 
ducted by  private  capital,  besides  the  Union  Pacific  machine  shops, 
employing  nearly  seven  hundred  men  and  paying  out  in  Omaha  a 
vast  amount  of  money.  Omaha's  manufactures  are  growing  steadily 
in  importance    and   in   number   from  year    to  year. 

Omaha's  banks  rank  among  the  very  best  and  soundest  in  the 
country,  and  are  institutions  of  which  our  city  may  well  feel  proud. 
There  are  four  banks  in  all — the  First  National  ;  the  Omaha  Na- 
tional ;  Caldwell,  Hamilton  &  Co.  ;  and  the  State  Bank  of  Ne- 
braska. 

The  educational  facilities  of  Omaha  both  in  her  public  and  pri- 
vate schools  are  unsurpassed  by  any  other  western  city.  She  has  the 
largest  and  finest  school  houses  of  any  city  of  like  size  in  the 
country,  and  her  High  School  building  is  probably  not  equalled  in  size 
or  cost,  or  beauty  of  architecture  or  location  by  any  other  high 
school  building  in  the  United  States.  It  was  completed  in  1872  at 
a  cost  of  $250,000.  The  system  of  instruction  in  the  public  schools 
is  of  a  thorough  and  systematic  character  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest   grade. 


HI  ST  OR  T    OF    OMAHA. 


223 


Among  the 
private  schools 
Brownell  Hall,  a 
young  ladies'  sem- 
inary and  school 
for  young  boys,  is 
fast  attaining  a 
popularity  equal 
to  some  of  the 
older  institutions 
of  the  East  for  its 
excellent  educa- 
tional and  moral 
training.  It  is 
under  the  auspices 
of  the  Episcopal 
Church. 

Mt.  St.  Mary's 
Academy,  a  Cath- 
olic school,  is  an- 
other educational 
institution  which  is 
a  credit  to  Omaha. 

The  Nebraska  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  located  at  Omaha, 
was  organized  and  a  school  opened  in  April,  [869,  in  a  rented 
building  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  city.  In  the  fall  of  [871, 
a  substantial  brick  building,  three  stork's  and  an  attic,  was  completed 
at  the  expense  of  the  State,  the  location  being  about  two  miles  and 
a  half  northwest  from  the  northern  limits  of  the  city.  Another 
building,  an  addition,  is  now  in  proce68  01  erection,  and  will  1  "-t 
fivO(Xj.      This    institution    i-   in    a    very    prosperous    condition. 


OMAHA    MM, II     SCHOOL    BUILDING. 


224 


IIISTO/tr    OF    OMAHA. 


The  Great  Western  Business  College  is  an  institution  that  has 
flourished  in  Omaha  for  several  years,  and  has  met  with  good  suc- 
cess, owing  to  the  fact  that  it  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  patronage. 
li  was  started  in  1873,  by  Prof.  (j.  R.  Rathbun,  who  is  the  present 
principal. 


GRAND    CENTRAL    HOTEL. 

Omaha's  hotel  accommodations  are  commodious  and  first-class  in 
every  respect.  The  Grand  Central  Hotel,  built  during  the  years 
1S71,  1872  and  1873,  by  a  joint  stock  company,  was  opened  by  Mr. 
Thrall,  the  present  landlord  in  the  fall  of  1873.  and  it  has  attained 
a  national  reputation  as  being  one  of  the  finest  hotels  in  the  country, 
and  the  best  house  between  Chicago  and  San  Francisco.  It  is  a  five 
story  brick  strucrure,  one  hundred  and  thirty  two  feet  square,  costing 
nearly  $300,000,   and    is   one    of  the   institutions    of  the   city. 

The  Metropolitan  is  also  an  excellent  hotel,  and  is  liberally  pa- 
tronized.    It    is    a    home-like,  cosy   house,   is   first-class   in   every   partic- 


HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 


--5 


ular,    and    is   kept     by     a   gentleman.    Mr.     Van     Namee,    who  "  knows 
how   to   run   a    hotel." 

There  are  several  other  hotels,  of  the  second  class,  that  afford  fair 
accommodations.  As  Omaha  is  an  important  railroad  centre  and 
located  on  the  great  highway  of  the  nation,  the  hotels  arc  all  doing 
a  thriving  business. 

The  Postoffice  /y^ 
and  United  States  HP" 
Court  House,  a 
four-story  white 
stone  structure, 
completed  in  1873. 
at  a  cost  of  about 
$450,000,  is  one  of 
the  most  substan- 
tial as  well  as  one 
of  the  handsomest 
government  build- 
ings in  the  United 
States. 

Omaha  is  the 
headquarters  of  the 
military  department 
of  the  Platte,  and 
as  such  derives 
considerable  benefit  rog1    ,)|IU|     hid  u.  s.  coum    house. 

from     the     govern- 
ment disbursements    among   troops,  stationed   at  Omaha   barracks,  and  for 
supplies    purchased    here  and   distributed    throughout    the    various   posts  of 
the  department. 

Omaha    is    a    metropolitan    city     in    main      respects        There    is    a    stir 


226  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 

and  a  business  enterprise  about  her  that  at  once  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  stranger,  who,  in  comparing  her  with  other  western  cities, 
finds  that  she  is  without  a  doubt  the  "Queen  City  of  the  Missouri 
V  alley." 

As  the  metropolis  of  Nebraska,  which  is  one  of  the  thriftiest  agricul- 
tural states  in  the  Union,  she  is  steadily  gaining  ground  in  population, 
wealth  and  importance,  and  whatever  obstacle  may  present  itself  in 
the  way  of  her  progress,  her  experience  of  the  past  has  taught  her 
to  meet  it  with  a  bold  front  and  soon  overcome  it.  And  when  an- 
other centennial  anniversary  shall  have  rolled  round,  Omaha  will  no 
doubt  have  become  a  city  of  the  magnitude  of  Chicago,  and  perhaps 
even  greater.  In  closing  this  concluding  chapter  of  this  centennial 
history  we  quote  the  following  most  appropriate  extract  from  the 
historical  address   of  Gen.    Estabrook,   on  July    4th,   1876  : 

"  As  the  fabled  Minerva  came  full-fledged  from  the  brain  ot 
lupiter,  so  was  Omaha  born  with  her  fighting  garments  upon  her, 
The  casual  observer  looks  upon  her  rich  endowments  and  admires 
but  little  does  he  realize  that  for  all  these  she  has  fought  her 
way  inch  by  inch,  through  all  these  long,  weary  years,  against  foes 
within  as  well  as  foes  without,  who  lurked  at  every  corner  and  who 
have  never  wearied  in  their  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  stab,  to 
cripple,  to  destroy.  But  in  every  emergency  Omaha  has  been  and  is 
still  equal  to  her  task.  If  she  seems  weary  with  her  duties  to-day, 
she  goes  forth  to-morrow  to  encounter  and  overcome  new  and  greater 
obstacles    with    the  strength   of  inspiration." 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


FIRST-CLASS   BUSINESS   HOUSES. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


229 


• 


Southeast  Corner  of   Douglas  and  Fifteenth  Streets 


OHS/IAHA.,     NEBRASKA, 


WHOLESALE   AND   BETAJL    DEALER   IB 

DRY  GOODS, 

The  Largest  Stock,  the  Greatest  Variety, 

THE     LOWEST     PRICES  ! 

One    Price   Only,    and    Strictly    Cash! 

Mr.  \V.  M.  BUSHMAN  commenced   business  In  Omaha  In  the  Spring  of  1878.     Hie 
business-  principles  have  always  been  THE  CASH  SYSTEM    BOTE  iN  BUYING    IND 
SELLING  ■  ONE  PRICE  ONLY,  AND  THAT  THE  LOWEST;    No    MI8BEPBE81  S 
TATIONS.      It    is  tc,  these  business    principles,  to    which    ii«'    has    strictly   adhered, 

that  he   owes    his    success.     IN    BUYING    FOB    CASH,  he    Is   enabled    to    1 haai 

goods  al  <  BEAPEB  1  [GUBES  than  if   he  bought  on  credit,  and  the  custom*  r  receives 
the  benefit   oJ  the  transaction,  at   Mb.  3U8HMAN  ran  thus  sell  ai  LOWEST  PEN  1  - 
His  ON  H  PEICE  CASE   S¥8TEM    erables   him   to  avoid  the  expense  of  costly  books, 
book-keepers  and  poor  accounts,  bo  that   he  does    nol    have  to  charge  extra  pi 
make  up  for  extra  expenses  and  losses  that   would   be  Incurred  bj    the  credil 

Mr    BUSHMAN  has  an   eleganl  and    commodloua   store,  well  stocked,  and  be  em- 
ploys none  bul   polite   and   attentive    clerks,  thus    making  bit    eatabliabi I 

the  moal  pleasaul   trading  phv  1  -  In  Omaha 


II IS TOR T    OF    OMAHA. 


DEWEY    &    STONE, 

TElJB   FINEST    TDSKTUGr  STORE  TINT  THE  "WEST. 


CHARLES    H.    ROBERTS, 

(Successor  to  E.  A.  ALLEN,) 

DRUGGIST    AND    CHEMIST, 

Dealer  in  PERFUMERY,   TOILET  ARTICLES  AND  FANCY  GOODS, 

Cor.  Fifteenth  and    Douglas  Streets.  Omaha,  Neb. 


HIS TOR  T    OF    OMAHA. 


B.  Welf.  Chas.  McDonald. 

WELF  c&  McDOXTALD, 

Importers  and  Manufacturers  of 


-J     WHX..M     H^W.    1UUUUUM, 

250  Farnham  Street,  Opposite  Grand  Central  Hotel,  Omaha,  Neb. 

3L-A-IDIES3       SUITS        .A.        SPECIALTY. 
Sui's  in  all  the  latest  styles  and  most  durable  fabrics. 

THE  EAI>IEH'  TJ  N  E>  E  R  W  E AR  DEPARTMENT 

Is  complete,  and  every  garment  is  of  the  m  st  perfect  make. 

Babies'  French  Embroidered   Robes   and    Dresses,  and    Embroidered    Cashmere    Cloaks  fat 
Children,   Children's  Hoods  and  Sacks. 

Zephyt  gubias,  &  Cloaks,  Sadies'  Sleeveless  Jackets  &  Cardigan  Jackets  with  Sleeves, 

Ties,  Ruchings,  Collars  and  Cuffs  ;   Neckwear  of  every  description. 

Ladies'    Merino    Underwear. 

'Cloaks  and  suits  made  to  order;  perfect  fit  guaranteed  or  no  sale., 


FRANK  JT,  BAM&E, 


' 


Artist  Tailor. 


231     Farnham    Street,    Omaha. 


DK.U.KK     IN 


Gen  tlem  en ' s    Fa  >  n  ish  ing    Goods. 


232 


HIS  TOR  1'    OF    OMAHA. 


A.  CRUICK8HANK  $  CO., 

THE   POPULAR   AND  PROGRESSIVE  HOUSE  FOR 


Cor    15th  and  Farnham  Sts.,  Omaha,  Neb. 


|nF]iaal  fi 


162  Harney  St,  Otna/nr,  Neb. 

FOR  THE  TREATMENT  OF 

ALL  CLASSES  OF  SURGERY, 

[Chronic  Liseases  and  deformities. 


S.  D.  MERCER,  M .  1)., 
Surgeon  in  Charge  of  Chronic  Diseases. 

J.    C.    DENISE,    M.  L>., 
In  Charge  of  Diseases  of  Kye,  Ear  and  Throat. 


A.   S.    BILLINGS. 


A.    W.    NASON. 


BILLINGS  &  NASON, 


D  lit  f '  I  i  T  i  f 


234  Farnham  Street,  between  13th  and  Hth. 


Omaha,  Neb. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


-33 


J.B. 


DEALER   IN 


OZZi  CLOTHS, 
MATS,    MATTING,    RUGS, 

Window  Shades 

AND 

WALL    PAPER, 

249    Douglas    Street, 

OMAHA,   NEB. 


JOHN  T.  BELL, 

Official  Reporter   Thinl   ffistrirt. 


HOMER  STULL, 

U.   S.  Examiner  in  Chancery. 


BELL     <&     STULL, 
Short-Hand     Writers    and     Notaries, 

OMAHA,    ]Vl<:i$. 

Will  visit  any   portion  of  the  State  and  Keport  Conventions.  Speeches,  Lectures, 
Court   Proceedings,  etc. 


©I 


I    m  1 


234  Farnham   Street.  Omaha.   Neb. 

•TTJIiirS    M  E  Y  IE  IE  , 

Box-ka-rt-s!ia-li;t>ti-t:i.ka.  Indian   lnlcrpn  t «■  i . 

INDIAN  TRADER  AND  DEALER  IN 

[ndian,   Chinese   and    Japanese    Curiosities. 

'5 


234 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


ilOTBnflplu 


No.  250  Douglas  Street,  Omaha. 


HENRY     HICKMAN, 

WHOLESALE  DEALER, 

(up  stairs.) 
MRS.  C.  F.  HICKMAN, 

RETAIL     DEALER, 

(FIRST     FLOOR.) 

The  Oldest  House,  tie  most  Stylish  Goods,  and  the  Lowest  Prices  in  the  City, 

WHOLESALE  GOODS  AT  EXACT  EASTERN  PRICES. 

1856.    The  Oldest  Established  Drug  Store  in  Nebraska.     1876. 
J.    HB    ISH, 

241    Farnham    Street,    Omaha,    Nebraska. 

WHOLESALE   AND   RETAIL   DEALER   IN 

PERFUMERIES,   FANCY    GOODS, 

And  all  Articles  foimd  in  a  First-Class  Drug  Store. 


BRANCH   STORES-S-  W.  Cor.  Douglas  and  Twelfth,  and  N-   E- 
Cor.  Tenth  and  Howard. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


235 


EMO&lMI&F     BtQTB     M®MB@9 


Established   1835. 

/if 


|opra 


DKALEK   IS 


STOVES, 

Tinware  aud  Tinners5  Stock. 

Tin  Plate  and  Metals, 
No.    343    Farnham    Street,  OMAHA,  NEB. 


J.    8.    CHARLKS. 


C.    H.    PAUL. 


Drs.  CHARLES   &  PAUL, 

232  Farnham  St.,  (up  stairs)  bet.  13th  and  14th. 


PRESERVATION  OF  THE  NATURAL  TEETH   MADE  A  SPECIALTY. 

.A-IST     OLID     HAT. 

What  deep  emotions  often  rise 
When  an  old  hat  meets  our  eyes  ! 
One  that's  been  to  us  a  friend  indeed, 
And  sheltered  us  in  time  of  need. 

Then  our  thoughts  rever' — that's  what's  the  matter- 
To  the  man  we  call  our  battel  ; 
So  this  truih  we  would  Impress  at  onre, 
If  you  want  the  best  of  hatters,  go  to  BuNCK, 

Who  always  has  on  hand  c  large  and  complete  stock  of  hats.  CAPS,  GENTS'  NECK 

WEAK,  6U8PENDI  u>,  GLOVES,  CANES,  UMBRELLAS,  Ac.,  Ac 

iil'i  Douylas   Street,  Omaha,   Xrh. 


*& 


II  IS  TOR  2'    OF    OMAHA. 


MAX    MEYER    &   CO., 


WHOLESALE   DEALERS   IS 


Cigars,  Tobaccos,  Pipes, 

Gun?,  Revolvers,  Ammunition  and  Fancy  Goods, 

172  Farnham  Street,  Omaha,  Neb. 


MAS  MEYEE  <&  BEO., 

\umc   Renters  and  jewelers. 

The  Largest  Music  House  in  the  West. 

229  Farnham  Street,  Omaha,  Neb. 


Geo.  H.  Bogg's,  Notary  Public.  Lew  W.  Hill. 

BOGGS  &   HILL, 

|fteal  ||skfe  gratters, 

No.   252  Farnham  Street, 
North  Side,  i  OMAHA     NEB 

Opposite  Grand  Central  Hotel,  j  WiVir\.  I  ir\,     n  i^u. 


Especial  attention  given  to  the  Buying,  Selling  and  Exchanging  of  all  kinds  of  Real  Estate, 

in  both  City  and  State,  Collection  of  Rents,  Payment  of  Taxes    Loaning  of  Money, 

Conveyancing,  Securing  Lands  for  No  n- Residents,  etc. 

«®"  All  business  entrusted   to   us  will   receive  prompt  and  careful   attention.  "=s» 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


*37 


The  largest  and  beat  hotel  between  Chicago  and  San  Francisco.      Opened  new  Septem- 
ber 30,  1873-  GEO.    THRALL,  Proprietor. 

C.    H.   FREDERICK, 


Che  Iatt»  ©I  imaha ! 

Farnham  Street,  Opposite  the  Grand  Central  Hotel. 

FINEST    PICTURE    HOUSE    TIN-    THE    "WEST. 

A.  HOSPE,  Jr.  &  CO., 
LOOKING-GLASSES, 


MANUFACTURERS    OK 


GOLD  AND  WALNUT  PICTURE  FRAMES, 

WINDOW      CORNICES,      CHROMOS,      ENGRAVINGS,      ETC 

234  Dodge  Street,  Bet.   15th  and  16th  Sts..  Omaha,   Neb, 

0*~Regilding  done  to  ord<r.~fr<J 


23s 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


{Established  1856.) 


WHOLESALE 


Fancy 
Groceries, 


I   Teas  and  Spices, 


1   TOBACCO  AND  CIGARS 


212  Farnham  Street, 


Omaha,  Neb. 


A.    R.    DUFRENE, 
Architect, 


OMAHA,  NEB. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


239 


I    MltBOPOMTA: 


OMAHA,      JMEBRA6KA. 

D.   A.   VAN   NAMEE,  Jr.,  Proprietor. 

The  Metropolitan  Hotel  is  centrally  located,  and  is  first-class  in  every  respect 
kaving  recently  been  entirely  renovated.  The  public  will  find  it  a  eomfoi table  and 
homelike  house. 

Frank  Murphy,  President.  Ben.  B.  Wood,  Cashier. 

STATE  BANK  of  NEBRASKA 

OHVEAKA,     NEBRASKA. 

CAPITAL,  -  -  $100,000. 

TRANSACTS    A     GENERAL    BANKING    BUSINESS. 

Six  per  cent,  compound  interest  allowed  on  time  deposits. 

The  Oldest  Established  Banking  House  in  Nebraska. 

®iiIdweIifH&iiiinoii^€Jo. 
BANKERS. 

Business  transacted  same  as  that  of  an  incorporated 
Bank. 

Accounts  kept  in  currency  or  gold  subject  to  sight 
check  without  notice. 

Certificates  of  deposits  issued  payable  in  three,  six 
and  twelve  months,  bearing  interest  at  six  per  cent, 
per  annum,  or  on  demand  without  interest. 

Advances  made  to  customers  on  approved  securities 
at  market  rates  of  interest. 

Buy  and  sell  gold,  bills  of  exchange,  Government, 
State,  County  and  City  bonds. 

Draw  sight  drafts  on  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  and 
all  parts  of  Europe. 

Sell  European  Passage  Tickets. 

COLLECTIONS    PROMPTLY    MADE. 


-4° 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


XT.     S.    DEPOSITOBY. 


rp 


ir 


m® 


Corner  Farnham  and  Thirteenth  Sts, 


fl 


THE   OLDEST    BANKING    ESTABLISHMENT    IN    OMAHA. 


(Successors  to  Kounize  Brothers.) 
Established  in  1856.      Organized  as  a  National  Bank   August  20,  1863. 

CAPITAL   AND   PROFITS  OVER  $300,000. 

DIRECTORS  : 
H.  KOUNTZE,  President.  I        JNO.  A.   CREIGH.TON,)r    hi 

AUGUSTUS  KOUNTZE,  Vice  PresHent.      |        H.   W.  YATES,  jv,uau«5i». 

A.  J.   POPPLETON,  Attorney. 
This  Bank  receives  deposits  without  regard  to  amounts. 
Issues  time  certificates  bearing  interest. 

Draws  drafts  on  Sad  Francisco  and  principal  cities  of  the  United  States,  also  London 
Dublin,  Edinburg  and  the  principal  cities  of  the  continent  of  Europe. 
Sells  passage  tickets  for  em  grants  fi  i  the  Inman  line. 


INAij   aypjua 

EZRA    MILLARD,  President.  J.  H.  MILLARD,  Cashier. 

Cor.  Douglas  and  13th  Sts.,  Omaha,  Neb. 
Capital  and  Surplus,       -       $250,000 


FINANCIAL    AGENT    FOR    THE    UNITED    STATES, 
AND  DESIGNATED  DEPOSITORY  FOR  DISBURSING  OFFICERS. 


This  Bank  deals  in  Exchange,  Government  Bonds,  Vouchers,  Gold  Coin, 

BULLION    AND    G-OLD    DUST. 

Drafts  drawn  payable  in  Coin  or  Currency  on  San  Fancisco,  California. 

BST"  Tickets  for  s.ile  to  all  parts  of  Europe,  via  National  Steamship  Company,  and  the 
Hamburg  American  Packet  Company. 


HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


Hl 


C.  C.  HOUSEL  &  CO.,  Storage,  Forwarding  and   Commission, 
4<)\  Thirteenth  Strei  r,  Omaha,  Neb. 

R.   DeDARLING , 

Anatomical  Bool  Maker 

479    TWELFTH    STREET, 

Between   Faruhuiu  :imJ   Harney.  OMAHA,      N  E2B< 

Ladie*'  Shoes  mail-'  to  order     Repatj  tag  neatly  ■u"i  promptly  attended  to.     i  trial  it  $oiit  tied. 


^4- 


IIIST0R2'    OF    OMAHA. 


Pork  Packer  I  Curer  of  Glioice  Siar-CiM  Hams 

AND  ALL  KINDS  OF  SMOKED  MEATS,   LARD,  &c. 

packing  House,  South  Chestnut  and  (Second  Streets,  Omaha,  $eb. 


C.  S.  GOODRICH  <&  CO., 


JOBBERS    OF 


WOODEN    WARE, 

Toys,  Cutlery  and  Fancy  Goods, 

om:a.ha,  neb. 

MORGAN    &    GALLAGHER, 

(Successors  to  CKEIGHTON  &  MORGAN,) 

WHOLESALE  &M&€JE 

ACENTS  FOR  HAZARD  POWDER  COMPANY. 

205   Farnham   Street,    Omaha,  Neb. 


HISTORY     OF    OMAHA. 


H3 


P.   STUBBENDORF. 


C.    HERBERT/. 


II.    NESTOR. 


$i*Ulter?  aai$|(deftle  jjeate  i&$ulb$,  J^mh  antiwar?, 

Cor.   Douglas  and  11th  Streets,  Omaha,  Neb. 


BYRON    RKKD. 


BYRON    REED    &    CO., 


I..    *     RBI  I'. 


THE   OLDEST    ESTA  11  LIS  II  K  1 


JEfeEAX,     Estate     Agency 

IIsT     NEBRASKA. 
Keep  a  complete  absiraet  of  title  to  all  real  «■»' :< t >   In  Omaha  and  Dooglai  Conntjr, 


^44  HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


ARTISTIC  AND  PREMIUM 

PHOTOGRAPHER, 

235  Douglas  Street,  Omaha. 

JOHN    S.    CAULFIELD, 

Wholesale  and  Retail 

Bookaeller  @  SiaMoiMHPf 

Dealer  in 

Wall  Papers,  Clotli  and  Paper  I Mow  Shales  and  Me  Fixtures, 

No.  222  Farnham  Street,  Omaha,  Neb. 
TAKE    THE 

"CUT-OFF!" 

ST.    1LOTJIS 


jP^ISTJD    the 


EAST   AND   SOUTH. 


HISTORY    OF    OMAHA. 


245 


flg^»  TO   TRAVELERS 

GOING  EAST ! 


THAT   THE 


Cbicaffo,  Bnrlinffton  &  Qnincy  Railroad 


THE   ONLY    ROAD    RUNNING    THE 

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Making  DIRECT  oonnectlon  with  trains  for  New   Vorlt,   Itowton, 
Pnlladelpnla.,  Cincinnati,  rod 

ALL   EASTERN  AND  SOUTH  EASTERN  POINTS. 

Be  Sure  and  Purchase  your  Ticket  by  thin  Favorite  Line. 

TICKET  OFFICE :    245  Farnham  Street,  Grand  Central  Hotel, 

W.    B.    STRONG.  H.    P.    DEUEL.  D     W.    HITCHCOCK, 

Oen'l  Supt.  Ticket   Agml  Otn.   W'rttrrn  I'aiu-nger  Agt. 


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246  HIS  TORT    OF    OMAHA. 


FOR  SALE  VERT  CHEAP ! 


nion  pacific  TO-miroatt  ^ompang. 

IKTO^W     IS     THE     TI3S4LE 

To   secure  a    HOME    in    the    GREAT    CENTRAL    BELT    OF    POPULATION    AND 
WEALTH   on    the    line    of   the    WORLD'S    HIGHWAY  ! 

3,000,000  ACRES  IN  EASTERN  NEBRASKA 

I^J    THE 

(heat  Haiti  Valley,  the  ffudengfWtst. 

These  lands  are  in  the  central  portion  of  the  United  States,  on  the  41st  degree  of 
North  Latitude,  the  central  line  of  the  great  Temperate  Zone  of  the  American 
Continent,  and  for  grain  growing  and  stock  raising  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the 
United  States. 

Cheaper  in  Price,  more  favorable    terms  given  and  more  convenient  to 
market  than  can   be  found  elsewhere. 

FREE  HOMESTEADS  FOR  ACTUAL  SETTLERS! 

The    Best    Locations    for    Colonies  ! 

SOLDIERS  ENTITLED  TO  A  HOMESTEAD  OF  160  ACRES ! 
Free  Passes  to  Purchasers  of  Railroad  Land. 

*&•  Send  for  new  Descriptive  Pamphlet,  with  new  Maps,  published  in  English, 
German,  Swedish,  Danish  and  Bohemian  ;  also, 

A    handsome   ILLUSTRATED    PAPER,  with  maps,  etc.,  and    containing   the  HOME- 
STEAD L1W         Mailed  FREE  to  all  applicants.     Address 

O,  W*  DAVIS, 

Land    Commissioner,    U.    P.    R.    R. 

03VT-A.H-A.,    NEB. 


HIS  TORI'    OF    OMAHA. 


247 


To  the  Black  ff/LLs 


a.tsttd 


BIG  HORN  GOLD  FIELDS, 

Tie  Union  Pacific  Railroafl 


Shortest,  Quickest,  and  Cheapest  Route. 


By  this  Route  you  avoid  the  Bud  Lands  of  Northern  aud  Eastern 
Dakota,  which  are  rendered  uninhabitable  and  almost  impassable,  by  the  i  tense  heat 
of  summer  in  the  "Bad  Lands"  and  the  long  distances  (100  miles)  without  wood  and 
water;  the  roving  bands  of  hostile  Indians  which  infest  the  country  north  and 
•east  of  the  Hills;  and  the  discomforts  and  delays  of  Missouri  River  navigation. 
You.  secure  A.ll-ra-11  Transportation  to  the  nearest  points 
from  which  the  Hills  are  accessible,  connect  "with  Fast  Stage 
Lines,  which  convey  you  over  good  Government  roads  under  Protection 
of  the  Military  to  your  destination.  This  is  the  route  by  which  the 
U.  S.  Mails  are  carried.  This  is  the  Route  used  by  the  Government  in  the  Trans- 
portation of  supplies  for  that  country  All  Old  Miners,  Hunters  and  Plainsmen 
testify  to  its  superiority.  In  fact,  all  who  desire  to  reach  the  Black  Hills  quickly, 
comfortably,  safely  and  cheaply,  select  this  Route.  For  rates  of  Brat,  tecond  and  third 
class  passage  and  other  valuable  aud  reliable  information,  call  upon  or  address  U.  1*. 
It.  H.  Offices,  287  Broadway,  IV.  Y.»  OO  Clark 
Street,    Chicago,  and 


THOS.  L.   KIMBALL, 


General  Pa    en  [ei  and  Ticket  Agent, 

OMAHA,   NEB. 


24S  111  STORY    OF    OMAHA. 

OMAHA  &  ST.  LOUIS  SHORT  LINE ! 

160  Miles  Saved  to  St.  Louis! 


TO    ST.   LOUIS   AND   THE   EAST, 
FROM  OMAHA  AINTI*  THE  WEST 

NO  CHANGE  of  cars  betweea  Omaha  and  St.  Louis,  and  but  one  between  Omaha 
and   New   York 

This  is  the  only  line  running  a  PULLMAN  PALACE  SLEEPING  CAR  AND 
DAY  COACH  East  from  Omaha  via  St.  Joe  and  Kansas  City  to  St.  Louis  on  arrival  of 
the  Union  Pacific  Express  Train. 

See  that  your  ticrets  read  VIA  KANSAS  CITY.  ST.  JOE  A  COUNCIL  BLUFF8 
RAILROAD         VIA  OMAHA  AND  ST.  LOUIS. 

Tickets  for  sale  at  253  Farnham  Street,  under  Grand  Central  Hotel. 
FRANK  E.  MOORES,  JOS.  TEAHON,  GEO.  L.  BRADBURY, 

Ticket  Ag't,  253  F  rnham  St.  Pass    Ag't.  Gen'l  Ag't. 

J.  F.  BARNARD,  Gen'l  Sup't,  St.  Joseph.        A.  C.  DAWES,  Gen'l  Pas.  Ag't,  St  Joseph. 


GENERAL 


AMERICAN,  GUION,  NORTH  GERMAN  LLOYD, 

ANCHOR,  HAMBURG.  ROTTERDAM, 

ALLEN,  NATIONAL,  STATE,  CUNARD, 

RED    AND    WHITE    STAR    LINE. 


CORRESPONDENCE    SOLICITED    AND    PROMPTLY     ANSWERED. 

FRANK  E.  MOORES,  Ticket  Agent. 

OFFICE  :    253  Farnham   Street,    Under   Grand    Central    Hotel, 
OMAHA,     IVKJB. 


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